1 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:11,680 One, two, three, four! 2 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:16,680 'In November 1982, a new young team of comedians called the Comic Strip 3 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,160 'appeared on our television screens for the first time 4 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:22,780 'with their film Five Go Mad In Dorset. 5 00:00:22,780 --> 00:00:26,400 'The Comic Strip launched the careers of many now-famous names 6 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,000 'including Ade Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders, 7 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,580 'Dawn French, Peter Richardson, 8 00:00:31,580 --> 00:00:35,120 'Robbie Coltrane, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, 9 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:37,580 'Keith Allen and Alexei Sayle. 10 00:00:37,580 --> 00:00:42,840 'For the next two hours, the Comic Strip take you through their award-winning films 11 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,860 'with unseen footage from the last 30 years. 12 00:00:45,860 --> 00:00:48,100 'Films like The Strike, 13 00:00:48,100 --> 00:00:52,800 'A Fistful Of Travellers' Cheques, Bad News, The Hunt For Tony Blair, 14 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,500 'and now their latest film for Gold, Five Go To Rehab. 15 00:00:57,540 --> 00:01:01,340 'We start with the group's first appearance on British television 16 00:01:01,340 --> 00:01:03,740 'with Five Go Mad In Dorset.' 17 00:01:14,140 --> 00:01:18,020 They must have come out of a secret entrance in the wall down there. 18 00:01:18,020 --> 00:01:20,100 I think I found it. Hurrah! 19 00:01:20,100 --> 00:01:24,220 I say, George. You're pretty spunky for a girl. Thanks, Dick. 20 00:01:24,220 --> 00:01:28,000 Oh, blow! It won't open! Perhaps there's a secret mechanism. 21 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,260 Of course! How silly of us not to have thought of that. 22 00:01:31,260 --> 00:01:34,760 I say, Dick. Try bending that branch three times. 23 00:01:39,620 --> 00:01:41,640 CREAKING 24 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:42,880 Hurrah! 25 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,060 I thought they ruined the genre for me. 26 00:01:46,060 --> 00:01:48,220 Huge fan of those books. 27 00:01:48,220 --> 00:01:50,540 I thought it was a bit silly. 28 00:01:50,540 --> 00:01:56,060 I don't think they took it very seriously, as if it was a bit of a joke. 29 00:01:58,220 --> 00:02:02,980 'It was the first of over 40 Comic Strip films and won the Press Award for Best Comedy. 30 00:02:02,980 --> 00:02:07,080 'It was a controversial send-up of the much loved Enid Blyton books 31 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,100 'featuring the Famous Five. 32 00:02:09,100 --> 00:02:11,560 'This was followed by...' 33 00:02:14,460 --> 00:02:16,860 The great thing about the Comic Strip 34 00:02:16,860 --> 00:02:21,200 is that Nigel Planer and Keith and Rik and Ade 35 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:26,200 and Dawn and Jenny and Robbie all came together and did these things. 36 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:30,700 And it was a real lesson to all the comedians like me who came after, 37 00:02:30,700 --> 00:02:33,700 NEVER to do an ensemble. 38 00:02:35,020 --> 00:02:37,240 WOMAN LAUGHS 39 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,040 It's super to be back on hols, Aunt Fanny! 40 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,040 Timmy! You're just as licky as ever! 41 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,500 My word! Haven't you all grown? 42 00:02:46,500 --> 00:02:50,800 We got a call at the 11th hour, the day before we were due to go on air 43 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,060 from the publishers. 44 00:02:53,060 --> 00:02:56,320 There was a build-up for months that I do remember, 45 00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:01,240 in which the Enid Blyton estate tried to prevent us making the film. 46 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:05,860 There was Enid Blyton's niece, somebody from the publishers, 47 00:03:05,860 --> 00:03:08,940 there was a barrister and two solicitors. 48 00:03:08,940 --> 00:03:14,660 I said, "The first night of Channel 4 and I'm going to get the sack. That's a good start(!)" 49 00:03:14,660 --> 00:03:18,040 Where's young Toby got to? He's been kidnapped. Typical! 50 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,580 'As it progressed, one of the solicitors,' 51 00:03:20,580 --> 00:03:24,760 a youngish woman, she had her papers 52 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:29,380 and at one point, I saw she'd lifted the papers up and I could... 53 00:03:29,380 --> 00:03:32,380 LAUGHING: They just started shaking! 54 00:03:32,380 --> 00:03:37,640 And when we got to Timmy who was so licky, she completely lost it. 55 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:40,200 'So they all started laughing.' 56 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:44,080 GEORGE: Oh, Timmy! You're so licky! 57 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:50,460 ANNE: You shouldn't let him do that, George, it's not hygienic. But we like it, don't we, Timmy? 58 00:03:50,460 --> 00:03:53,420 JULIAN: Come on, girls. Leave Timmy alone. Lights out. 59 00:03:53,420 --> 00:03:58,980 'The pride I had in Five Go Mad In Dorset being on the first night was this,' 60 00:03:58,980 --> 00:04:03,620 what you guys were doing was appealing to younger audiences, 61 00:04:03,620 --> 00:04:08,060 audiences whose tastes had scarcely been catered for. 62 00:04:08,060 --> 00:04:11,300 If you look at it now, it seems like, 63 00:04:11,300 --> 00:04:16,220 to an extent, classic television satire, but people didn't do that in those days. 64 00:04:16,220 --> 00:04:20,960 'There they were, sending up this backbone of British culture, 65 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,560 'Enid Blyton, in the most hilarious way.' 66 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,360 ..heaps of tomatoes, fresh lettuce and lashings of ginger beer. 67 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:31,300 This is the kind of holiday I like. Not too much adventure. 68 00:04:31,300 --> 00:04:34,520 Enid Blyton was not Saddam Hussein, 69 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:39,100 but all the class assumptions that were underneath Enid Blyton 70 00:04:39,100 --> 00:04:42,320 were brought to the fore in the Comic Strip films. 71 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,840 Eugh. What a horrid common voice he's got. 72 00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:47,900 I said, "Are there any parts?" 73 00:04:47,900 --> 00:04:52,540 He said, "There's just a really unattractive randy old gypsy 74 00:04:52,540 --> 00:04:57,980 "and a woman who runs the local shop who's obviously been beaten up." 75 00:04:57,980 --> 00:05:01,500 And I said, "Well, I can do them both." 76 00:05:01,500 --> 00:05:05,540 He said, "Yeah, all right, then." That was the conversation. 77 00:05:05,540 --> 00:05:09,980 I say! Look at this, everybody! Two more famous scientists kidnapped. 78 00:05:09,980 --> 00:05:14,540 Yes, there's been a lot of strange comings and goings in this village. 79 00:05:14,540 --> 00:05:17,400 Secrets and signs and... 80 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:20,100 Threats. 81 00:05:20,100 --> 00:05:22,440 I think I'm a bit frightened already. 82 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:27,920 You'll be all right, young missy, with your short skirt and your tight sweater. 83 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:29,580 Right, off we go! 84 00:05:29,580 --> 00:05:34,760 I saw it the first night of Channel 4. I didn't think much of Channel 4 up until then. 85 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:40,600 When I saw that, I thought, "I want to be these people." Except for, um... Danny. 86 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:43,800 It's time you scooted off. You've had a long time with us. 87 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,980 I suppose Dick doesn't have a say in the matter. Look here! 88 00:05:46,980 --> 00:05:49,760 We're the Famous Five and that's how it's going to stay. 89 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:54,600 They made me feel very welcome, which was part of the whole 90 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:56,480 loveliness of the experience. 91 00:05:57,220 --> 00:05:58,300 Oh! 92 00:05:58,660 --> 00:06:01,740 I was the butt of a number of jokes, yes. 93 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:08,680 I suppose someone had to be, to show up their characters' slightly right-wing tendencies. 94 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:10,880 It was a reflection of the times. 95 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,500 You can say, "Taking the mickey out of a black man with the bags." 96 00:06:14,500 --> 00:06:19,340 The real issue is the reaction from the five. It's what THEY say. 97 00:06:19,340 --> 00:06:21,280 That man looks foreign. 98 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:24,700 I expect his name's golliwog! Or Tarzan! 99 00:06:24,700 --> 00:06:28,140 'The Comic Strip have always had the credibility to do that,' 100 00:06:28,140 --> 00:06:35,160 in the black community, to take the mickey out of certain black issues that were of the time, you know. 101 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,940 Now you can't, because certain people are uncomfortable with it. 102 00:06:38,940 --> 00:06:42,520 I do love Famous Five. That is one of my favourites. 103 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:46,360 It was just so gloriously funny to do. 104 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:50,360 We were just sort of let loose with a film crew. 105 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:54,220 And, er... We all stayed at Pete's mum's house. 106 00:06:54,220 --> 00:06:56,260 In bunk beds. 107 00:06:56,260 --> 00:06:58,840 And it was...rather jolly. 108 00:06:58,840 --> 00:07:02,960 What a gorgeous view! I'm so glad it's private property. 109 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:06,360 I expect the welfare state would like to build a motorway here. 110 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:08,900 Or a secondary modern school. BARKING 111 00:07:08,900 --> 00:07:12,520 Timmy hates city folk as well. Don't forget the gate. 112 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,740 Yes, the country code's very strict about that. 113 00:07:15,740 --> 00:07:18,820 NEW SPEAKER: 'They all started on the stage together. 114 00:07:18,820 --> 00:07:22,800 'They probably had no idea that things would work out as well. 115 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:24,900 'They all got this shared...' 116 00:07:24,900 --> 00:07:28,800 battle experience, doing their first films together. 117 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:33,040 Just give me that guitar, Dick. # Get your boring clothes off # 118 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,460 Give me that guitar at once! 119 00:07:35,460 --> 00:07:38,180 # Give me that guitar, oh, yeah # 120 00:07:38,180 --> 00:07:40,160 Right, that's it! 121 00:07:42,700 --> 00:07:46,040 Oh, no! What a fascist! 122 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:50,080 You shouldn't have done that, Ju. Shut up, you little prick-teaser! 123 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:55,020 The main engine of the thing was the kind of group attitude. 124 00:07:55,020 --> 00:07:57,080 Everybody always got the joke. 125 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:00,840 There was never any question or any disagreement 126 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:02,800 'about what the joke was.' 127 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:09,300 Where am I? 128 00:08:09,300 --> 00:08:16,280 What I always look forward to is there's normally a bit of strange casting from Pete that always works. 129 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,820 I think about people like Sandra Dorne, 130 00:08:18,820 --> 00:08:21,180 'Fiona Richmond, they just work.' 131 00:08:21,180 --> 00:08:25,220 I didn't want to spoil your holiday, but I'm afraid, children, 132 00:08:25,220 --> 00:08:27,620 your uncle has been kidnapped again. 133 00:08:27,620 --> 00:08:31,140 ALL: Oh, no! Bad show! 134 00:08:31,140 --> 00:08:33,700 'In this room, 30 years ago, 135 00:08:33,700 --> 00:08:37,120 'one of the most popular soap stars of the time, Ronnie Allen, 136 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:40,320 'came through this door dressed as Uncle Quentin.' 137 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:44,620 There's something very unnatural going on here, and that's for sure. 138 00:08:45,820 --> 00:08:49,160 I think I can explain everything, children. 139 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,960 ALL: Uncle Quentin! 140 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:57,500 'Ronnie Allen was a very big soap star in soaps like Compact and, later, Crossroads. 141 00:08:57,500 --> 00:09:01,340 'He was an ageing matinee idol, adored by loads of women. 142 00:09:01,340 --> 00:09:04,120 'Used to get 20 million people a night watching him.' 143 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,600 So when he walked in and told his fans that he was gay, 144 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:09,640 'it caused quite a stir.' 145 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:12,780 That was all part of my plan. 146 00:09:12,780 --> 00:09:14,840 For many years now, 147 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:19,620 your Aunt Fanny and I have not had a proper marital relationship. 148 00:09:19,620 --> 00:09:22,440 She's an unrelenting nymphomaniac. 149 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:24,720 And I'm a screaming homosexual. 150 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:32,520 They must have been in their late 20s, early 30s and they're playing ten-year-olds? 151 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,560 Why did no-one...? Who casted this? 152 00:09:36,580 --> 00:09:39,100 You're pretty well developed for a ten-year-old. 153 00:09:39,100 --> 00:09:42,980 I say! I've found a first-rate spot to pitch our tents for the night. 154 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:47,840 DAWN: 'My character, George, is a tomboy 155 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:51,680 'so I was given a bike which had a crossbar, for boys.' 156 00:09:51,680 --> 00:09:55,680 And, er, we were told to go down a very steep hill, 157 00:09:55,680 --> 00:09:59,560 and I realised that my bike didn't have any brakes. 158 00:09:59,560 --> 00:10:04,280 I said to Pete, "I can't go down that steep hill, mate. I can't stop the bike." 159 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:08,900 He said, "Just do it! Stop fussing! Just come off the bike at the end." 160 00:10:08,900 --> 00:10:10,880 So that's what I did! 161 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:14,180 Yeah, we got the naughty stuff, just like last time! 162 00:10:14,180 --> 00:10:18,840 'This deserted bay in south Devon was one of the locations we used 163 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:21,760 'for the end scene of Five Go Mad On Mescalin. 164 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:26,020 'One of the most surprising people in the world spotted the location - 165 00:10:26,020 --> 00:10:28,260 'Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.' 166 00:10:28,260 --> 00:10:32,900 I've got his book here, where he says, "We go to Beesands in Devon 167 00:10:32,900 --> 00:10:37,020 "next to a village called Hallsands, which had fallen into the sea, 168 00:10:37,020 --> 00:10:40,100 "a ruined village which was interesting to a young kid. 169 00:10:40,100 --> 00:10:42,220 "It was really Five Go Mad In Dorset, 170 00:10:42,220 --> 00:10:44,420 '"all those dilapidated houses." 171 00:10:44,420 --> 00:10:46,520 'Not any more. 172 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,280 'Most of the locations we used have changed completely.' 173 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,180 Oh, what a horrible, run-down scruffy... 174 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:59,580 I think that time is always the best judge. 175 00:10:59,580 --> 00:11:02,780 And, you know, whether people will be still talking 176 00:11:02,780 --> 00:11:07,460 about The Inbetweeners and things like that in 30 years' time, 177 00:11:07,460 --> 00:11:09,760 I'm not so sure. 178 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:13,840 I think The Comic Strip Presents will always be there to watch 179 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:17,060 and will always be funny and always be relevant. 180 00:11:20,060 --> 00:11:24,840 'Coming next, Al Pacino is cast as Arthur Scargill in The Strike.' 181 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:36,140 'For their third series, the Comic Strip presented a series of one-hour comedies. 182 00:11:36,140 --> 00:11:39,500 'The Strike, which won several awards, was a satire 183 00:11:39,500 --> 00:11:42,200 'on Hollywood's dictum, "Never let the truth 184 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,360 "get in the way of a good story." 185 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:48,560 Golden Pictures would like to be part of your movie. 186 00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:52,960 However, we'll have to make one or two tiny changes to the script. 187 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:54,500 A mining disaster. 188 00:11:54,500 --> 00:11:57,680 The miners' strike is undoubtedly the sort of film we should be doing. 189 00:11:57,680 --> 00:12:00,380 What about Al Pacino as Arthur Scargill? 190 00:12:01,420 --> 00:12:06,160 It's great. The point of the story is that the miners are on strike. 191 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:08,280 That means that the mine's closed. 192 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:10,820 This hunky hero head of the miners, 193 00:12:10,820 --> 00:12:16,160 he's too chicken shit scared to go down the mine and big out Meryl Streep! 194 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:19,960 I think The Strike's the best. 195 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:22,700 If a teenager came to that now, 196 00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:25,480 and didn't know who all those people were, 197 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:28,440 didn't know about the miners' strike, 198 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,060 I think what's great about that is 199 00:12:31,060 --> 00:12:36,280 it's more about a guy who's written a film about a real event 200 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,620 which has been twisted and made into something else. 201 00:12:39,620 --> 00:12:45,660 What I'm really trying to say is, uh, it seems to me this Arthur Scargill character is, um... 202 00:12:45,660 --> 00:12:48,480 Seems to me to be some kind of, um... 203 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:50,720 loser, you know? 204 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:53,200 Yeah. That's the way it reads to me. 205 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,220 Um, you know, he loses, yeah. 206 00:12:58,220 --> 00:13:03,580 What Al's trying to say, forgive me, Al... No. Please. 207 00:13:03,580 --> 00:13:07,200 ..is that we don't like the end of the picture. 208 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:10,380 Strike really worked. The story within the story worked. 209 00:13:10,380 --> 00:13:14,200 It worked like you went to Hollywood and they said, "We love the story 210 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:17,740 "but you got to kill more people." Or whatever they said. 211 00:13:17,740 --> 00:13:21,560 Tell him he either tears up his rose bushes or he's fired! 212 00:13:21,560 --> 00:13:25,960 'With something like Strike, particularly, well all those, 213 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:31,400 'they're very much about British culture, but using American culture' 214 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:35,500 to highlight the absurdity, so you bring the Hollywood machine in. 215 00:13:35,500 --> 00:13:39,780 You have Al Pacino playing Arthur Scargill, which is fantastic. 216 00:13:39,780 --> 00:13:44,520 Strike was originally a one-line gag in Eat The Rich. 217 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:48,780 We thought, "We can make Strike." We took the gag out and did Strike. 218 00:13:48,780 --> 00:13:52,360 Strike was a masterly film, wonderful film. 219 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,940 'I remember there were great shots like High Noon, 220 00:13:55,940 --> 00:14:00,640 'that looked as if they were taken high up and down a long stretch.' 221 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:04,440 You thought, "I'm watching a movie." 222 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:09,860 'Peter Richardson wanted to find a street of terraced houses with a slag heap at the end of it.' 223 00:14:09,860 --> 00:14:13,160 Doesn't say "mining town" to me. 'We actually found one.' 224 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:17,540 Hi, how d'you do? This is Paul, the writer. Love the script. 225 00:14:17,540 --> 00:14:22,020 'One of the houses was like our production office and stuff. 226 00:14:22,020 --> 00:14:24,240 'And next door decided' 227 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:27,460 they would join in, they would be our bar and catering. 228 00:14:27,460 --> 00:14:32,860 So it was like a street party every day we were filming, with the locals joining in. They were brilliant. 229 00:14:32,860 --> 00:14:34,440 'Absolutely fantastic.' 230 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:38,240 Over at that pub, there was about 20 miners. 231 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:40,900 And we saw 500 coppers. 232 00:14:40,900 --> 00:14:43,900 Hard-faced bastards with visors and shields. 233 00:14:43,900 --> 00:14:45,960 They're walking like this. 234 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:48,780 Old Mrs Griffiths, she come out to see them... 235 00:14:50,060 --> 00:14:54,620 What do you think? It's just all this double glazing. 236 00:14:54,620 --> 00:14:57,060 I know. It's completely bad taste. 237 00:14:57,060 --> 00:15:00,760 The film is set in the '80s, but feels like the '30s. 238 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,340 Yes, exactly. All films do. 239 00:15:03,340 --> 00:15:10,980 'It's a film within a film, a complex kind of proposition about how Hollywood falsifies history.' 240 00:15:10,980 --> 00:15:14,860 You know, makes it extremely crude and about egotism. 241 00:15:14,860 --> 00:15:18,640 It was a wonderful, a fantastic satire. 242 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:23,100 What was here before this video shop? Until five years ago, Radio Rentals. 243 00:15:23,100 --> 00:15:26,960 Could very easily be re-dressed as a blacksmith's shop! 244 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:29,200 WOLF HOWLS 245 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,480 CONVERSATION AND PIANO PLAYING IN PUB 246 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:35,900 GRUFFLY: Scargill! 247 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:42,920 We want to talk to you. 248 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:47,080 I don't talk to militants. But we got something to say to you. 249 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:51,600 Hm! We hear that you've been trying to negotiate with the Coal Board. 250 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:56,360 What if I am? We're running things now. We've taken over your union... 251 00:15:56,360 --> 00:15:58,360 'Those group of people still feel' 252 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:02,520 like this is why comedy is the way it is today. 253 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:03,880 Um... 254 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:07,940 You know, very...intelligent people 255 00:16:07,940 --> 00:16:11,820 writing intelligent things, disguising it as silliness. 256 00:16:11,820 --> 00:16:16,680 The Strike, I've watched 15 times. I love that one. With the oranges. 257 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:19,920 You're a school teacher, a great school teacher, 258 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:24,000 but you don't know what it's like to be Arthur Scargill, leader... 259 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,000 What the...that? 260 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:27,940 It's an orange. 261 00:16:27,940 --> 00:16:31,620 I want to know what it's doing in my scene. 262 00:16:31,620 --> 00:16:34,240 It feels right for me to be peeling an orange. 263 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:37,920 She's peeling an orange, I ought to be loading a handgun. OK, Al. 264 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:40,140 A Magnum! 265 00:16:40,140 --> 00:16:43,360 Jennifer was doing a Meryl Streep with the oranges, 266 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:46,160 permanently playing with oranges. 267 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:50,480 I'm sorry, Arthur. 268 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:53,800 I love the workers as much as you do, but... 269 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:57,980 Goddamn it, Arthur. You're gonna have to choose. 270 00:16:57,980 --> 00:17:00,000 It's me or the union. 271 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:01,980 Don't say that! 272 00:17:03,900 --> 00:17:07,580 Don't ever say it to me again. I love the NUM. 273 00:17:07,580 --> 00:17:09,260 It's my job. 274 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:12,520 Have you got that? 275 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:15,260 SOBBING 276 00:17:19,740 --> 00:17:22,940 It just was hysterically funny. 277 00:17:22,940 --> 00:17:25,520 I happened to be there at Montreux 278 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,540 when, to everyone's shock and amazement, 279 00:17:28,540 --> 00:17:30,960 it won the Golden Rose of Montreux. 280 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:34,680 That is the prized accolade for comedy. 281 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,320 Golden Rose? Very disappointing. 282 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:39,380 Made of tin and plastic. 283 00:17:39,380 --> 00:17:43,440 They give you a cheque, and Peter put the cheque in his pocket. 284 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,960 It was only for five grand, but it's a blank cheque. 285 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:53,380 And about three weeks later, when we came back to England, we went up and gave it to Arthur Scargill. 286 00:17:53,380 --> 00:17:58,660 So we gave Arthur this cheque for five grand, and he gave us this miner's lamp, which I've still got. 287 00:17:58,660 --> 00:18:01,880 I love the idea of Americans playing Arthur Scargill, 288 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:07,000 Al playing Arthur Scargill as a handsome gypsy in a white shirt and a black waistcoat. 289 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:09,000 EXPLOSION 290 00:18:14,100 --> 00:18:18,220 'Peter Richardson doing Al Pacino doing Arthur Scargill 291 00:18:18,220 --> 00:18:20,680 'and the way he tries to transform him' 292 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,900 into this tragic hero rescuing his daughter 293 00:18:23,900 --> 00:18:27,260 from a collapsing mine - it's just so absurd! 294 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:31,680 Where's Dutch? This whole thing's gone too far. 295 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:37,520 C'mon, where is he, Wayne? 296 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:39,520 ALL COUGH 297 00:18:40,740 --> 00:18:44,300 Him and a thousand militants broke into the dynamite store! 298 00:18:44,300 --> 00:18:47,600 They took the dynamite and headed for Sellafield! My God! 299 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:51,600 They're gonna blow the nuclear reactor. Slim? Yes, sir. 300 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:53,600 I need your bike. 301 00:19:00,100 --> 00:19:04,200 Oh, I loved Strike. I'm sure there are some shit bits in Strike. 302 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:06,700 I LOVED Strike! Didn't you love Strike? 303 00:19:06,700 --> 00:19:11,120 I thought Peter Richardson, who did a lot of stuff on the motorbike, was really edgy. 304 00:19:11,120 --> 00:19:14,760 In our Hollywood film, Arthur Scargill turned into Steve McQueen. 305 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:28,180 Pete and I wrote this line, "Scargill roars past Buckingham Palace, into Parliament Square." 306 00:19:28,180 --> 00:19:30,520 He said to Glynn Purcell, the first assistant, 307 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:37,220 "What we want to do is fall over on the bike and run through the gates of Parliament. What do you think?" 308 00:19:37,220 --> 00:19:40,880 Glynn said, "Two things. First of all, you'd be shot. 309 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:43,020 "And second, you'd be shot again." 310 00:19:44,700 --> 00:19:46,160 Which way to London? 311 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:49,360 I remember them having to shoot him 312 00:19:49,360 --> 00:19:51,920 on the Mall early in the morning... 313 00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:56,140 ..on a motorbike dressed as Al Pacino, 314 00:19:56,140 --> 00:19:59,260 riding down the middle of the Mall without a helmet on. 315 00:19:59,260 --> 00:20:04,560 They literally, drove to the Mall, Pete got on the bike, and just did it with the camera following them. 316 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,140 'We didn't have any permissions.' 317 00:20:07,140 --> 00:20:10,980 I'm riding this dirt bike around Buckingham Palace. 318 00:20:10,980 --> 00:20:13,540 'The bike doesn't have any MOT or insurance. 319 00:20:13,540 --> 00:20:16,920 'I've got no helmet or licence.' 320 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:20,080 I pretend to run out of petrol on the Mall, dump the bike 321 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:22,160 and run after the camera car. 322 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:26,640 I say, "How was that, John?" He says, "Wouldn't mind going again." 323 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:28,520 And all hell broke loose. 324 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:32,420 Nee-nah, nee-nah! LAUGHING: And the police come. 325 00:20:32,420 --> 00:20:37,980 We decided we didn't know who he was, this guy running after us who we were trying to get away from. 326 00:20:37,980 --> 00:20:43,780 Everyone vanishes, and the police come up and said, "Right, who's in charge?" I say, "I'm just an actor." 327 00:20:43,780 --> 00:20:47,740 They said, "Look, if you go home now, we'll be nice to you." 328 00:20:47,740 --> 00:20:51,460 And that was it. We said, "Fine, thank you very much." 329 00:20:51,460 --> 00:20:56,140 And Peter said, "As soon as they've gone..." No, Peter! No, Peter! 330 00:20:56,140 --> 00:20:59,280 Permissions? SPITS 331 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:00,420 Permissions! 332 00:21:00,420 --> 00:21:04,580 The following day, of course, we go down to Carnaby Street, 333 00:21:04,580 --> 00:21:08,940 a lone motorbike rider haring down the middle of Carnaby Street. 334 00:21:10,860 --> 00:21:14,120 A few times we thought, "We are going to get nabbed." 335 00:21:14,120 --> 00:21:18,200 There's a scene at the end, where I throw the typewriter in the air. 336 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:22,720 The guy, one of the bandido brothers, was underneath and it was clearly... 337 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:24,940 It was a big old heavy typewriter. 338 00:21:24,940 --> 00:21:27,140 'It was going to hit him on the head.' 339 00:21:27,140 --> 00:21:30,180 'We wanted a shot of this spinning in the air.' 340 00:21:30,180 --> 00:21:34,600 You said, "You throw it." I launched it up in the air. You said, "Great!" 341 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:37,280 It came straight down and landed on his head. 342 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:39,680 'Did it knock me out?' 343 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:44,800 It split your head open, but you didn't have stitches. No wonder I don't remember it. 344 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:46,780 ALL SHOUTING 345 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:50,480 GAVEL BANGS 346 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:54,780 Well, Mr Scargill, I think you should go home and... 347 00:21:54,780 --> 00:21:57,160 tell little Tammy that... 348 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:03,040 ..yes, the miners can go back to work. 349 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:05,420 Y-yes! 350 00:22:05,860 --> 00:22:09,060 Strike was so weird cos it's got Rik at the end 351 00:22:09,060 --> 00:22:12,880 playing some sort of Lincoln-ian type judge. 352 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:15,600 It's got this wonderful Passport To Pimlico ending. 353 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:19,260 'Rik just throws his gavel in the air and laughs. 354 00:22:19,260 --> 00:22:22,680 'It was a hilariously funny moment.' 355 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:24,760 CHEERING 356 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:26,140 Tammy! 357 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:33,680 Daddy, look! I can walk! 358 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,340 Come on, Tammy. You can do it. 359 00:22:40,460 --> 00:22:43,460 You have a very brave daddy, Tammy. 360 00:22:43,460 --> 00:22:46,140 I know. Thank you, Prime Minister. 361 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:49,060 CHEERING 362 00:22:51,180 --> 00:22:53,900 'After the break, the Comic Strip go to Spain, 363 00:22:53,900 --> 00:22:56,360 'in search of a fistful of travellers' cheques.' 364 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:06,900 'At the end of their second series, the Comic Strip went to Spain 365 00:23:06,900 --> 00:23:10,760 'and had a wild time making A Fistful Of Travellers' Cheques. 366 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:16,680 'Not only has the story been updated, but it features scenes that have never been shown before.' 367 00:23:40,700 --> 00:23:42,520 Carlos! 368 00:24:01,220 --> 00:24:03,480 'I hadn't seen Carlos for 30 years. 369 00:24:06,260 --> 00:24:09,000 'He was like a brother to me, really. 370 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:15,820 'He said, "Let's go abroad, do something." 371 00:24:15,820 --> 00:24:20,020 'I said, "I've always wanted to go to Cuba. Lovely place, Cuba. 372 00:24:20,020 --> 00:24:24,440 '"Beautiful beaches. We could pretend to join the revolution." 373 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:28,520 'He said, "Fuck Cuba! We'll go to Spain. Do the spaghetti thing."' 374 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:31,160 DONG 375 00:24:33,060 --> 00:24:34,920 You start the row! 376 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:48,560 Quite a lot of the Sergio Leone Fistfuls and For A Few Dollars More, 377 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:52,720 Once Upon A Time In The West, a lot of that was done around here. 378 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:54,960 GUNSHOTS 379 00:24:56,840 --> 00:25:00,200 My first ever Comic Strip was Fistful. 380 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:02,660 It just blew my mind. 381 00:25:02,660 --> 00:25:06,100 I think the boys really indulged themselves in that film. 382 00:25:06,100 --> 00:25:10,740 In the best possible way! All boys like to pretend to be cowboys. 383 00:25:10,740 --> 00:25:14,820 And Comic Strip boys, comedy boys in particular, LOVE it! 384 00:25:14,820 --> 00:25:17,580 They LOVE a bit of Lee Van Cleef. 385 00:25:17,580 --> 00:25:21,460 You know, they love guns and their big hats. 386 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:28,200 Are you taking this train to El Poranzo? 387 00:25:37,420 --> 00:25:38,680 No. 388 00:25:39,380 --> 00:25:40,720 NO! 389 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:44,720 We leave the train at San Domingo, the next stop. 390 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,480 'Jennifer and I were on the sidelines,' 391 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,400 watching the boys tugging their todgers in a Spanish cowboy way. 392 00:26:04,220 --> 00:26:07,760 'You and Rik are walking down the high street.' 393 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:09,800 We can see the road for miles. 394 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:15,060 'These lovely people sitting in the high street, leaning against walls, 395 00:26:15,060 --> 00:26:18,060 '"What's all this stuff?" you know.' 396 00:26:18,060 --> 00:26:21,200 We're coming along, "Por favori, el movo." 397 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:25,920 '"Over there-o. Pay no attention to the camerooni."' 398 00:26:28,700 --> 00:26:32,560 As you pull your wheelies along, a car comes at Rik, 399 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:36,740 driven by the art director, not the stunt driver. 400 00:26:36,740 --> 00:26:39,080 HORN HONKS 401 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:45,700 You can just see Mike misses him by...that much. 402 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:50,340 'My agent phoned up and said,' 403 00:26:50,340 --> 00:26:54,200 "Peter Richardson says can you come to Spain for a couple of weeks 404 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:58,040 "and get knocked about by Keith Allen a bit?" I went, "OK." 405 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:02,040 # Everybody happy? La la la la la 406 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:06,640 # Where your mama gone? Where your mama gone? # 407 00:27:08,420 --> 00:27:14,120 I remember Keith slamming me against this shutter that made a violent-y noise. 408 00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:18,600 But no, there was no serious pain. 409 00:27:25,100 --> 00:27:26,780 Thank you. 410 00:27:26,780 --> 00:27:30,200 The thing that killed me was the fake gun fight. 411 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,560 And the fake argument. "You start the row!" 412 00:27:34,540 --> 00:27:36,740 I went first last time. 413 00:27:36,740 --> 00:27:38,780 No, you didn't. 414 00:27:38,780 --> 00:27:40,080 Did. 415 00:27:40,700 --> 00:27:41,940 Didn't. 416 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:45,160 Did. 417 00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:47,720 Didn't. 418 00:27:48,340 --> 00:27:49,640 Did! 419 00:27:50,420 --> 00:27:52,360 Did not! 420 00:27:54,940 --> 00:27:57,300 You calling me a liar? 421 00:27:58,340 --> 00:28:02,500 Sorry. Have we started yet? Of course we have, you tosser! 422 00:28:02,500 --> 00:28:06,020 I was from Gloucester and he sounded so West Country. 423 00:28:06,020 --> 00:28:11,740 It was one of the times in my youth I remember almost suffocating from laughter watching the TV. 424 00:28:11,740 --> 00:28:13,800 What...? Start again. 425 00:28:15,820 --> 00:28:18,280 You calling me a liar? 426 00:28:21,980 --> 00:28:23,220 Y-yes! 427 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:27,160 Well, then, you're going to die. 428 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:29,160 CICADAS SING 429 00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:38,000 'Spain?' 430 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,240 I thought it was Morocco. Wasn't it Morocco? 431 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:46,580 'It looked like Morocco.' 432 00:28:48,700 --> 00:28:52,760 I was, you know, hitchhiking on the road. 433 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:56,140 'After waiting a few hours,' 434 00:28:56,140 --> 00:29:01,400 the best thing, the only thing to do, really, is to die. 435 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:03,980 'To lie down dead in the road.' 436 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:08,240 Strewth! Yeah. Kinda guy who gives you crabs! 437 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:09,880 You OK? 438 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:11,880 Roadkill, I am. 439 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:21,240 'Two frigging weeks I've been here. Still can't find the bastard.' 440 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:22,520 Carlos! 441 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:26,260 'Then I had a brainwave - go back to where it all started, 442 00:29:26,260 --> 00:29:28,080 'El Poranzo station.' 443 00:29:33,340 --> 00:29:35,120 WHISTLE BLOWS 444 00:29:37,620 --> 00:29:39,160 Tickets. 445 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:47,480 What's this, gringo? 446 00:29:48,340 --> 00:29:51,380 It's a Euro Rover, old man. 447 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:54,440 Grr! 448 00:30:15,300 --> 00:30:17,360 Who ARE you? 449 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:20,440 Who do you think it is? It's me, Michael. 450 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:25,080 You remember us at college, amigo? 451 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:29,160 Basingstoke Technical College. 452 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:30,940 Yeah. 453 00:30:30,940 --> 00:30:33,800 Two-year engineering course. 454 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:36,800 That's when you became my friend. 455 00:30:38,140 --> 00:30:40,680 I don't have any friends. 456 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:44,280 Ah, so you're the man with no friends? That's right. 457 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:49,960 And you're the man with no testicles. 458 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:51,740 Sorry, testicle. 459 00:30:51,740 --> 00:30:54,800 Locals? Probably thought we were cra... 460 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:59,300 We just turned up in these extraordinarily stupid costumes. 461 00:30:59,300 --> 00:31:02,020 Rik and Peter shouting at each other a lot. 462 00:31:02,020 --> 00:31:05,620 I suppose they thought, "Here come the English again. 463 00:31:05,620 --> 00:31:08,440 The next train that pulls in at this station... 464 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:12,100 ..I'm just gonna jump aboard it. 465 00:31:12,100 --> 00:31:17,560 I'm gonna head straight out across that wide, shimmering, burning desert, 466 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,140 to make it to El Paso, 467 00:31:20,140 --> 00:31:22,760 just in time for elevenses. 468 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:27,280 Hi, I'm Shona and this is Jackie. 469 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:30,000 What do you do for a living, trouble? 470 00:31:32,380 --> 00:31:34,260 Take your clothes off. 471 00:31:34,260 --> 00:31:38,440 Billy Beaumont, bull fighter from Clitheroe. 472 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:40,860 He went to Spain to fight bulls, 473 00:31:40,860 --> 00:31:44,400 but he got gored by a goat. 474 00:31:45,660 --> 00:31:48,560 Give us this day, our daily bread. 475 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:50,980 Forgive us our trespasses... 476 00:31:50,980 --> 00:31:53,000 You just landed on our grave. 477 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,240 I think he works in Lidl's now. 478 00:31:57,200 --> 00:31:59,720 Say your prayers, amigo. 479 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:03,000 Which one? I don't know any prayers. 480 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:07,380 Well, perhaps you should have paid more attention in divinity class. 481 00:32:07,380 --> 00:32:10,200 You might have lived five minutes longer. 482 00:32:12,540 --> 00:32:13,900 Wait! 483 00:32:13,900 --> 00:32:16,020 I know where there's a cafe! 484 00:32:16,020 --> 00:32:17,880 Huh? Prove it. 485 00:32:19,220 --> 00:32:21,160 Just there. 486 00:32:23,940 --> 00:32:27,260 Big Julie? This was his great moment. 487 00:32:27,260 --> 00:32:29,840 He'd gone travelling in Spain. 488 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:36,800 I guess a lot of people think, "What's that crazy American doing 489 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:40,820 "opening up a cafe-restaurant 50 miles from the nearest house?" 490 00:32:40,820 --> 00:32:42,800 Yeah, well, I say... 491 00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:45,740 "Yeah, I'm crazy. 492 00:32:45,740 --> 00:32:49,660 "But there's a lot of people who are crazier in LA." 493 00:32:49,660 --> 00:32:52,380 I don't know if you've been to LA recently, 494 00:32:52,380 --> 00:32:56,460 but what I say is I'd rather be crazy in, like, a restaurant 495 00:32:56,460 --> 00:33:00,400 in somewhere like Spain than somewhere else, 496 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:05,480 where it's crazy to be that kind of crazy. 497 00:33:06,300 --> 00:33:07,640 Cafe. 498 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:09,680 Do you think I should extend? 499 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:14,380 I don't want to spoil the landscape, but it'd be kinda nice when trade picks up. 500 00:33:14,380 --> 00:33:18,040 I've only been here two years and I'm not established, 501 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:22,660 but the way I figure it, you gotta get bigger because people like it big. 502 00:33:22,660 --> 00:33:26,160 And you gotta get bigger before you get smaller. 503 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:31,000 I'm not a small guy. 504 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,840 I don't know if you think about me that much, 505 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,920 you know, at night or first thing in the morning. 506 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:39,460 Maybe it's the tablecloths. 507 00:33:39,460 --> 00:33:41,420 They ARE kinda ugly. 508 00:33:41,420 --> 00:33:44,700 Then, you can't see them unless you come to the door. 509 00:33:44,700 --> 00:33:51,000 People just don't come to the door and go, "Oh! I'm not going in there. Did you see those tablecloths?" 510 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:53,720 People just don't do that, do they? 511 00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:55,720 CHICKEN CLUCKING 512 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:00,900 Maybe the word's gone round about the tablecloths. 513 00:34:00,900 --> 00:34:05,980 I had a couple of people in here for a meal six months ago and they were really disgusted. 514 00:34:05,980 --> 00:34:07,580 Cafe? 515 00:34:07,580 --> 00:34:11,700 They didn't say anything, but I could feel it. 516 00:34:12,540 --> 00:34:14,680 I tell you, the world's crazy. 517 00:34:15,820 --> 00:34:17,780 I mean, what do you say? 518 00:34:19,340 --> 00:34:23,320 You think I should change the wallpaper to attract more people? 519 00:34:28,260 --> 00:34:30,740 Ah! What the fuck! 520 00:34:31,580 --> 00:34:33,640 It's only a restaurant. 521 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:40,400 Come on! Keep it going! 522 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:43,900 Keep calm, Julie. That's a very big bus. 523 00:34:43,900 --> 00:34:46,480 There could be six people in there. 524 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:50,280 Jesus! If they only buy coffee it's enough to pay the ground rent. 525 00:34:54,620 --> 00:34:59,720 I remember Keith Allen being owed a lot of money, or owing a lot of money for poker. 526 00:34:59,720 --> 00:35:02,700 We had these absolutely mad poker games. 527 00:35:02,700 --> 00:35:06,600 Keith kept saying, "Double. Double it. Double it. 528 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:10,020 "I'll double you. I'll raise you. I'll double you." 529 00:35:10,020 --> 00:35:11,880 Thousands of pounds! 530 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:16,900 It wound all the locals up cos we played for outrageous sums of money. 531 00:35:16,900 --> 00:35:20,520 Ade got rescued from running naked down the street. 532 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:22,920 Yeah, that was bonkers, actually, in Almeria. 533 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:26,780 'One night, driving along at 30, 40, 50 miles an hour 534 00:35:26,780 --> 00:35:29,780 'along a straight road with not a light in sight. 535 00:35:29,780 --> 00:35:33,220 'Keith Allen decides to play this game.' 536 00:35:33,220 --> 00:35:36,560 "Let's put the lights out and see who's first to scream." 537 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:40,540 The Comic Strip felt more like a raiding party from the real world. 538 00:35:40,540 --> 00:35:43,120 It was like more ordinary people, 539 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:49,500 that were having this intensely seismic effect, you know, on comedy 540 00:35:49,500 --> 00:35:51,480 'and on television.' 541 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:56,120 I don't think I like this place. 542 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:58,160 I don't think I like YOU. 543 00:35:58,160 --> 00:35:59,480 GUNSHOT 544 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:02,360 LAUGHTER AND GUNSHOTS 545 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:08,860 KNOCKING ON DOOR 546 00:36:08,860 --> 00:36:11,540 Hey! You got guns in there? 547 00:36:20,700 --> 00:36:22,680 FLUSHES 548 00:36:24,140 --> 00:36:26,860 Yes? You no fire guns in the bedroom, huh? 549 00:36:26,860 --> 00:36:29,100 And no flushing the guns down the lavatory. 550 00:36:29,100 --> 00:36:31,980 How come there's no soft toilet paper? 551 00:36:31,980 --> 00:36:36,420 This is Hotel Bastardos. Not Soft Toilet Paper Hotel Bastardos. 552 00:36:36,420 --> 00:36:38,740 SPITS You want soft toilet paper? 553 00:36:38,740 --> 00:36:41,340 You go to Hotel Gay Boy. 554 00:36:41,340 --> 00:36:43,260 You winging pommies. 555 00:36:43,260 --> 00:36:46,700 And another thing! You no set fire to the beds, hey? 556 00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:50,040 Good, good, good. OK? 557 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:52,560 Everybody happy? 558 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:54,660 La la la la la. La la. 559 00:36:54,660 --> 00:36:55,960 Good. 560 00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:59,180 I always thought American comedies did "story". 561 00:36:59,180 --> 00:37:04,320 British comedies just had a load of gags and jumped up and said, "Hey!" 562 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:08,760 And what you did was push story into comedy. 563 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:14,800 SPANISH VOICES ON RADIO 564 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:27,000 I feel sexy now. Yes. 565 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:29,320 I feel pretty raunchy myself. 566 00:37:29,320 --> 00:37:31,440 Good, yeah? Ha ha. 567 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:33,800 Everybody happy? Hey? 568 00:37:36,720 --> 00:37:38,520 You got whores? 569 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:40,180 Whores? 570 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:43,940 Fetch Henrietta. 571 00:37:43,940 --> 00:37:45,880 BOTH LAUGH 572 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:52,500 Es Henrietta. 573 00:37:55,980 --> 00:37:59,260 You think I'm going to get naughty naughty with THAT? 574 00:37:59,260 --> 00:38:02,740 It's yours till six o'clock! Hey? Ha ha ha! 575 00:38:03,540 --> 00:38:05,620 I don't think I'm that kinky. 576 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:11,620 And I don't think you're going to have any breakfast in the morning. 577 00:38:11,620 --> 00:38:14,680 If you know what I'm talking about. Wait. 578 00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:16,600 We need horses. 579 00:38:20,720 --> 00:38:24,180 How much, amigo? £2,000. Each. 580 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:34,360 Wait. Somebody's taken my travellers' cheques. 581 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:41,700 We're doing this all wrong, amigo. Well, we've got no money, no horses. 582 00:38:41,700 --> 00:38:47,580 People are going to think we're right tossers now. Shit! Don't get over-excited, Michael. 583 00:38:47,580 --> 00:38:51,640 I've got heaps of travellers' cheques at the hotel. I'm going home. 584 00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:56,540 We've come on holiday to enjoy ourselves and do the spaghetti thing. 585 00:38:56,540 --> 00:39:00,020 Let's make the best of it. We should have gone to Cuba, like I said. 586 00:39:00,020 --> 00:39:02,100 Pretend to join the revolution. 587 00:39:02,100 --> 00:39:05,340 You said we've got to go to Spain. Cheer up, Michael. 588 00:39:05,340 --> 00:39:06,800 Please? 589 00:39:08,180 --> 00:39:09,820 Please? 590 00:39:09,820 --> 00:39:12,460 I think I know where we can get some horses. 591 00:39:17,820 --> 00:39:22,480 It was nothing like it is today. San Jose was a tiny fishing village. 592 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:26,220 It was a beautiful little beach. I remember it so well. 593 00:39:26,220 --> 00:39:30,100 There was a little bay and beautiful clean water. 594 00:39:30,100 --> 00:39:33,100 The white buildings now go right up the hill. 595 00:39:33,100 --> 00:39:35,620 Before, there was a hill with no buildings. 596 00:39:35,620 --> 00:39:40,660 I had to drive out of town to the garage to make telephone calls. 597 00:39:40,660 --> 00:39:42,740 It was that kind of isolated. 598 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:48,680 It was great to be in a different country. We were in the desert. 599 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:52,360 We shot it where they shot the spaghetti westerns. 600 00:39:55,240 --> 00:39:59,920 We had tapas and Spanish wine and stuff I'd never tasted before. 601 00:39:59,920 --> 00:40:02,000 It was very good. 602 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:08,180 Don't you remember, amigo? We came by this way 30 years ago. 603 00:40:08,180 --> 00:40:09,860 Yeah. 604 00:40:09,860 --> 00:40:15,280 Course, in them days, you could buy a horse, somewhere to live, 605 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:17,340 maybe even a small car 606 00:40:17,340 --> 00:40:19,940 for three pesos. 607 00:40:19,940 --> 00:40:25,620 Now it costs hundreds of euros just to stay in a comfortable B&B. 608 00:40:25,620 --> 00:40:27,740 For a single night. 609 00:40:27,740 --> 00:40:31,120 Yeah. They don't really do B&B out here, do they? 610 00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:34,080 Hi, guys. 611 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:36,400 Can I make you a cocktail? 612 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:39,420 Whisky. And steaks. 613 00:40:39,420 --> 00:40:41,620 I remember being in some fights. 614 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:43,960 Shame! 615 00:40:47,260 --> 00:40:52,200 I remember speaking in an Australian accent a bit, or our bad version of it. 616 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:55,840 I remember getting nice and brown. We went to the beach quite a lot. 617 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:57,840 Mostly, I remember nearly dying. 618 00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:02,280 The morning where we had to collect the girls from their apartment 619 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:04,400 around the corner from the hotel. 620 00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:07,240 They were a bit late and we were a bit concerned. 621 00:41:07,240 --> 00:41:13,800 They got carbon monoxide poisoning from faulty pipes and things. 622 00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:18,320 If they'd left us there another hour, we would be dead. 623 00:41:18,320 --> 00:41:22,960 The Comic Strip tried to kill me then save my life at the very last moment. 624 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:25,380 It was, "Where's Jennifer and Dawn? 625 00:41:25,380 --> 00:41:28,760 "They're late for their call. Somebody go and knock them up." 626 00:41:28,760 --> 00:41:31,280 They were minutes away from dying. 627 00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:35,440 They were very ill that day. Very ill. And we were blessed... 628 00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:39,860 Nearly held us up filming. I was a bit concerned about lunch. 629 00:41:39,860 --> 00:41:42,520 Which football team do you support? 630 00:41:45,820 --> 00:41:47,200 Watford. 631 00:41:48,020 --> 00:41:49,220 SPITS 632 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:53,220 Watford can't play to save their lives, amigo. 633 00:41:53,940 --> 00:41:55,880 I agree. 634 00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:57,040 Oh. 635 00:41:57,720 --> 00:41:59,880 Oh, well, then I don't agree. 636 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:03,960 I think they CAN play. They just need a new manager. 637 00:42:03,960 --> 00:42:05,520 Yeah. 638 00:42:06,920 --> 00:42:11,280 Anyway, you're going to die. 639 00:42:13,340 --> 00:42:15,580 GUNSHOTS 640 00:42:19,060 --> 00:42:22,940 I'm feeling...a bit...peaky. 641 00:42:22,940 --> 00:42:26,520 Huh. One gun fight too many, perhaps. 642 00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:28,860 I had whooping cough 643 00:42:28,860 --> 00:42:30,680 last year. 644 00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:33,940 Haven't felt the same since. 645 00:42:34,740 --> 00:42:37,040 You're taking pills for that? 646 00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:39,820 Or just the occasional slug of whisky? 647 00:42:39,820 --> 00:42:41,140 No. 648 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:47,860 Just loads of Ovaltine. 649 00:42:49,700 --> 00:42:52,980 As a kid, I was a teenager, it was like... 650 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:58,160 ..it was like punk was for music for me. It was this kind of... 651 00:42:58,160 --> 00:43:01,960 I can't really overstate the effect it had on me, really. 652 00:43:18,500 --> 00:43:22,320 'Coming next, the Comic Strip go on the road with Bad News.' 653 00:43:27,200 --> 00:43:31,240 'In 1982, The Comic Strip were commissioned to make a documentary 654 00:43:31,240 --> 00:43:34,940 'about a maverick heavy metal band who, like hundreds of others, 655 00:43:34,940 --> 00:43:37,640 'were searching for instant fame and success. 656 00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:39,460 'Their name was Bad News.' 657 00:43:39,460 --> 00:43:41,040 # Bad news 658 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:44,080 # Bad news # 659 00:43:45,760 --> 00:43:49,360 'Their lead singer was Alan Metcalf, a painter and decorator 660 00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:51,480 'who called himself Vim Fuego.' 661 00:43:51,480 --> 00:43:55,580 We're not sitting on the fence. We're trying to burn the fence down. 662 00:43:55,580 --> 00:43:58,300 It's pretty stupid to sit on a burning fence. 663 00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:03,080 'On bass was Colin Grigson, son of a wealthy banker. 664 00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:06,480 'He was only allowed in the band because he owned the PA system.' 665 00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:10,400 I was with this chick and we were just about to get down to it, 666 00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:13,060 I put my foot through the television set! 667 00:44:13,060 --> 00:44:16,880 'Den Dennis, also a painter and decorator, was the rhythm guitarist. 668 00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:21,200 'At home on stage, he would sometimes get confused when facing a camera.' 669 00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:23,760 'Ello, Den. Hello, Alan. 670 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:25,080 Vim. 671 00:44:26,140 --> 00:44:29,020 Eh? Vim. My name's Vim, remember. 672 00:44:29,020 --> 00:44:31,340 Oh, yeah. S-sorry. 673 00:44:31,340 --> 00:44:33,520 Er... Hello, Vim. 674 00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:37,000 'And then there was the drummer, known simply as Spider. 675 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:43,960 'When not hitting the drums, he was experimenting, in rock 'n' roll fashion, with illegal substances.' 676 00:44:43,960 --> 00:44:45,900 Come on, Spi... SMASH 677 00:44:45,900 --> 00:44:48,140 What time do you call this, then? 678 00:44:48,140 --> 00:44:51,200 I've smashed the window, Spider. Sorry. 679 00:44:51,200 --> 00:44:54,320 Sorry. Never mind, Den. It's all anarchy, innit? 680 00:44:56,780 --> 00:45:02,780 'Early one morning, the band set off for Grantham, in the hope of playing their first paid gig.' 681 00:45:02,780 --> 00:45:06,240 These people are bursting with energy, they're very funny. 682 00:45:06,240 --> 00:45:11,580 The words they utter are unprintable and probably can't be broadcast. 683 00:45:11,580 --> 00:45:14,140 'We've broken down, you stupid bastard.' 684 00:45:14,140 --> 00:45:18,840 I fully appreciate your problem, but you can't use our bus. Why not? 685 00:45:18,840 --> 00:45:21,560 Because it's your problem. You've got to handle it. 686 00:45:21,560 --> 00:45:24,120 We're just here to point the cameras. 687 00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:28,060 That's the point of documentaries. We're lucky it happened. 688 00:45:28,060 --> 00:45:31,040 DEN: You're lucky I don't knock your fucking head in. 689 00:45:31,040 --> 00:45:33,360 There's no need to get violent. 690 00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:35,420 And try not to swear so much. 691 00:45:35,420 --> 00:45:37,680 You can always put in a fucking bleep. 692 00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:40,700 'It wasn't just problems with the van and the crew. 693 00:45:40,700 --> 00:45:44,000 'Bad News were also experiencing musical differences.' 694 00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:49,200 We're not just another stupid heavy metal band. What about futuristic heavy metal? 695 00:45:49,200 --> 00:45:53,180 We're modern than futuristic. Right, that's it. 696 00:45:53,180 --> 00:45:57,880 I'm getting out if we're anything to do with the new romantics. 697 00:45:57,880 --> 00:46:02,160 I'm not going any further until I hear Alan say we're heavy metal. 698 00:46:06,980 --> 00:46:08,920 Go on, tell him, Vim. 699 00:46:09,680 --> 00:46:12,060 OK. We're heavy metal, OK? 700 00:46:12,060 --> 00:46:15,160 Heavy metal. Heavy metal. Heavy metal. 701 00:46:15,160 --> 00:46:18,240 Have I said it enough? We're heavy metal, OK? 702 00:46:19,260 --> 00:46:23,620 Just like your fucking brain! Cos it's heavy, get it? 703 00:46:23,620 --> 00:46:26,980 I heard the music. Not something I wanted to pursue. 704 00:46:26,980 --> 00:46:32,540 I THINK Bad News came out... two years before Spinal Tap? 705 00:46:32,540 --> 00:46:36,580 I like the characters. Spider was always my favourite. 706 00:46:36,580 --> 00:46:40,520 How did you get into the music business, Spider? Well, I went down the Jobcentre. 707 00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:43,600 And told them I wanted to blow their minds. 708 00:46:43,600 --> 00:46:47,460 'The group did have one important fan. Her name was Sally Friedman.' 709 00:46:47,460 --> 00:46:49,520 Hey, Bad News. 710 00:46:49,520 --> 00:46:52,440 ALL: Hey, Sally Friedman! 711 00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:54,960 Britain's number one sexy chic rock journalist. 712 00:46:54,960 --> 00:46:56,960 What gives? Coast-to-coast tour? 713 00:46:56,960 --> 00:46:59,720 Putting heavy metal back on the rock 'n' roll map. 714 00:46:59,720 --> 00:47:01,820 1001 smashed motel rooms. 715 00:47:01,820 --> 00:47:05,240 We're on... No, I still can't read that from here. 716 00:47:06,060 --> 00:47:08,160 'Late that afternoon, 717 00:47:08,160 --> 00:47:12,580 'they finally reached Grantham and things really began to fall apart.' 718 00:47:12,580 --> 00:47:15,360 Stop! Stop! What's the matter? 719 00:47:15,360 --> 00:47:17,760 You're supposed to come in there, Colin. 720 00:47:17,760 --> 00:47:20,800 All I'm asking, Vim, is you let me sing just one number. 721 00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:22,760 I know, and I said you can't. 722 00:47:22,760 --> 00:47:27,260 It's my brother's PA and I say that you all can't use it. 723 00:47:27,260 --> 00:47:31,580 The only reason you're in this band is cos you got the bloody PA. 724 00:47:31,580 --> 00:47:36,840 Maybe I should take my PA to a band where I might be appreciated a little bit more! 725 00:47:36,840 --> 00:47:40,800 It'd better be a band in Grantham cos it's not going in my van! 726 00:47:40,800 --> 00:47:43,560 Yes! Which I paid for to have repaired. 727 00:47:43,560 --> 00:47:47,120 'Vim was so angry, he punched the director of the documentary 728 00:47:47,120 --> 00:47:50,780 'and the band were not on speaking terms for at least a month. 729 00:47:50,780 --> 00:47:54,240 '30 years later, Spider and Den recall that night.' 730 00:47:54,240 --> 00:47:57,100 Well, I mean, technically speaking, 731 00:47:57,100 --> 00:48:00,800 Bad News, as a band, never did come together. 732 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:02,880 I mean, we never came together 733 00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:09,000 because we, like, started from...musical differences. 734 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:13,440 That was the starting point. And the differences could only get wider. 735 00:48:13,440 --> 00:48:17,440 I think there were probably people genuinely in the music business 736 00:48:17,440 --> 00:48:22,000 who listened to Bad News and went, "Do you know what? They're not bad." 737 00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:24,480 They WERE bad. They were terrible. 738 00:48:24,480 --> 00:48:29,000 'When the Bad News documentary was shown on Channel 4, it divided opinion. 739 00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:31,020 'Some thought they were terrible. 740 00:48:31,020 --> 00:48:35,640 'Others thought they were so bad, they were quite funny. 741 00:48:35,640 --> 00:48:39,560 'They appeared on The Tube, but not even Jools Holland or the cameras 742 00:48:39,560 --> 00:48:42,300 'could prevent the band from self-destructing.' 743 00:48:42,300 --> 00:48:45,840 You're a very visual band. You still want to do an interview? 744 00:48:45,840 --> 00:48:49,020 Yes, please. Yes. I think it's probably just me. 745 00:48:49,020 --> 00:48:51,460 No, we can have all the band in. 746 00:48:51,460 --> 00:48:57,380 'Rock manager Sharkey McIntyre offered them a few gigs - an offer he was soon to regret.' 747 00:48:57,380 --> 00:49:02,360 It was terrible! The whole thing was a really, really bad experience. 748 00:49:02,360 --> 00:49:05,400 'They were the worst band in the world.' 749 00:49:05,400 --> 00:49:12,280 We are a live band, basically, but I don't think anybody guessed we were miming. Everybody, shut up! 750 00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:14,980 Some people were fans of Bad News, yeah. 751 00:49:14,980 --> 00:49:17,740 It was a strange thing, in a way. 752 00:49:17,740 --> 00:49:22,760 They all paid to get in. No freebies. We didn't have to pay for the houses or anything. 753 00:49:22,760 --> 00:49:26,480 'Phil McIntyre decided to approach the giant record label EMI, 754 00:49:26,480 --> 00:49:29,900 'to see if they'd be interested in signing Bad News.' 755 00:49:29,900 --> 00:49:31,660 'Phil McIntyre,' 756 00:49:31,660 --> 00:49:35,760 who used to promote Iron Maiden and quite a lot of the bands we managed, 757 00:49:35,760 --> 00:49:39,440 came to us one day and said, "I've got this great idea! 758 00:49:39,440 --> 00:49:41,860 "I think we should make a record." 759 00:49:41,860 --> 00:49:46,320 So we sort of looked at each other, the way you do with Phil. 760 00:49:46,320 --> 00:49:50,280 "I don't think anybody's going to want to make a record with Bad News." 761 00:49:50,280 --> 00:49:55,200 HEAVY METAL MUSIC 762 00:49:55,200 --> 00:49:58,940 I did go and see them live more than once. 763 00:49:58,940 --> 00:50:04,480 I remember once at Poole Arts Centre there was nearly a riot. 764 00:50:04,480 --> 00:50:07,800 Normally, it's people trying to get in. 765 00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:10,620 There, it was people trying to get out, really. 766 00:50:13,540 --> 00:50:17,340 # I am Mr Rock and Roll... # 767 00:50:18,060 --> 00:50:19,960 They were shit, really. 768 00:50:23,080 --> 00:50:25,980 LONE WOMAN CHEERS AND APPLAUDS 769 00:50:28,480 --> 00:50:31,300 'One of the crew in Portsmouth' 770 00:50:31,300 --> 00:50:34,440 called me on stage and said, "Look at this." 771 00:50:34,440 --> 00:50:39,020 There were sheep's eyes with the entrails hanging off the back. 772 00:50:39,020 --> 00:50:43,140 They were chucking sheep's eyes and liver and intestines at us. 773 00:50:43,140 --> 00:50:46,180 As well as the bottles of piss and the gob. 774 00:50:46,180 --> 00:50:49,520 It was, er, fierce! 775 00:50:49,520 --> 00:50:52,580 'Thanks to McIntyre, the band signed to EMI 776 00:50:52,580 --> 00:50:57,040 'and went into the studio to record their first album, titled Bad News.' 777 00:50:57,040 --> 00:51:00,940 Just another two or three notches. STRUMS BASS 778 00:51:00,940 --> 00:51:05,380 Bloody hell! All those lagers! I brought them in. They're for afterwards. 779 00:51:05,380 --> 00:51:08,720 Just a little bit more. OK. Up a notch. 780 00:51:08,720 --> 00:51:10,840 Just a touch. STRUMS BASS 781 00:51:10,840 --> 00:51:13,760 Lovely. OK, we'll try it, then. 782 00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:16,000 LOUD DRUMMING 783 00:51:19,440 --> 00:51:24,660 'Next came a pop video, as EMI threw yet more good money at Bad News, 784 00:51:24,660 --> 00:51:28,060 'in the desperate attempt to get them into the top 40.' 785 00:51:28,060 --> 00:51:30,700 Another 100 records, we'd have been in. 786 00:51:30,700 --> 00:51:33,240 'Bumping into Queen's guitarist, Brian May, 787 00:51:33,240 --> 00:51:38,180 'they persuaded him to produce a Bad News version of Bohemian Rhapsody.' 788 00:51:38,180 --> 00:51:41,120 # ..Can't do this to me, baby 789 00:51:41,120 --> 00:51:45,700 # I've just gotta get out I just gotta get right out of here # 790 00:51:45,700 --> 00:51:49,700 'Phil rings me up and says that he wants to do the Marquee in London.' 791 00:51:49,700 --> 00:51:54,600 We had Jeff Beck one night, doing duelling guitars with Vim Fuego. 792 00:51:54,600 --> 00:51:58,320 Probably the lowest point in my career. 793 00:51:58,320 --> 00:52:04,360 We were watching the act for a few minutes before Brian May and myself were due on. 794 00:52:04,360 --> 00:52:11,440 We noticed that the stage was swimming with broken glass and drink. 795 00:52:11,440 --> 00:52:15,840 Brian said, "This is great!" I said, "We're going to be in the middle of that!" 796 00:52:17,480 --> 00:52:19,580 'Despite the large EMI advance, 797 00:52:19,580 --> 00:52:23,840 'the band became increasingly keen to find out where the money went. 798 00:52:23,840 --> 00:52:26,980 '30 years later, Den and Spider are still concerned.' 799 00:52:26,980 --> 00:52:33,420 Their arrangement with Sharkey, I wouldn't know the ins and outs of it. 800 00:52:33,420 --> 00:52:36,700 I got you a record deal with EMI, £250,000 advance. 801 00:52:36,700 --> 00:52:41,360 And I got you 45 grand off Tony Smith for your publishing. 802 00:52:41,360 --> 00:52:45,920 And I got you money to make a video, which, you know, was a nightmare. 803 00:52:45,920 --> 00:52:49,540 We never saw that. Where is that money? Where's the money, Phil? 804 00:52:49,540 --> 00:52:51,760 You were on expenses from day one. 805 00:52:51,760 --> 00:52:55,580 Expenses? What do you mean? Were YOU getting expenses? 806 00:52:55,580 --> 00:53:00,280 Ten a month. £10 a month? Yes. I never got £10 a month. 807 00:53:00,280 --> 00:53:06,040 The fact that you didn't save any of that for your old age is your fault. 808 00:53:06,040 --> 00:53:09,720 If you'd have invested it properly, you wouldn't be begging now. 809 00:53:09,720 --> 00:53:15,160 That sounds like bollocks to me. Phil, we want to know where our money is. Where's the money? 810 00:53:15,160 --> 00:53:19,880 You know I get annoyed about this, Spider, this constant badgering for money. 811 00:53:19,880 --> 00:53:22,360 There is no money to give you back. 812 00:53:22,360 --> 00:53:27,260 CROWD CHEERING How many of you people have heard of Bad News? 813 00:53:27,260 --> 00:53:32,780 Ladies and gentlemen, will you welcome Bad News? 814 00:53:32,780 --> 00:53:35,300 'So to the Monsters Of Rock festival. 815 00:53:35,300 --> 00:53:37,700 'Bad News may have finally arrived, 816 00:53:37,700 --> 00:53:42,340 'playing on the same bill as Motorhead, Ozzy Osbourne and Def Leppard.' 817 00:53:42,340 --> 00:53:45,920 Hello, Donington! CHEERING 818 00:53:46,960 --> 00:53:49,040 We are Bad News! 819 00:53:53,340 --> 00:53:55,440 # Bad news... # 820 00:53:56,440 --> 00:53:59,320 They were absolutely BLEEP awful! 821 00:53:59,320 --> 00:54:01,520 LAUGHTER 822 00:54:01,520 --> 00:54:02,800 # Two, three, four... # 823 00:54:03,800 --> 00:54:05,860 I thought Bad News hit a new high 824 00:54:05,860 --> 00:54:08,320 in altruistic, self-indulgent, 825 00:54:08,320 --> 00:54:12,280 bullshit, mollycoddled, mother-my-dog instinct rock n roll. 826 00:54:16,080 --> 00:54:19,040 You can't describe it as music, not really. 827 00:54:19,040 --> 00:54:21,120 It's diabolical. 828 00:54:31,620 --> 00:54:34,480 Yeah, the first number went quite well. 829 00:54:35,440 --> 00:54:36,960 Well, the first part of it did. 830 00:54:36,960 --> 00:54:41,640 To be perfectly honest, I think the lot of you turned out worthlessly. 831 00:54:41,640 --> 00:54:45,260 No, that's not... That's not... I don't believe that. 832 00:54:45,260 --> 00:54:50,080 It was all a disaster, wasn't it, cos none of you got on. LAUGHTER 833 00:54:50,080 --> 00:54:53,240 Who likes YOU, Mr McIntyre? Yeah. 834 00:54:53,240 --> 00:54:56,260 The bickering became about people playing. 835 00:54:56,260 --> 00:54:59,400 Like any of you could play, anyway. Yeah. Yeah. 836 00:54:59,400 --> 00:55:02,700 So that took over after about ten dates. 837 00:55:02,700 --> 00:55:06,480 You're all fighting and squabbling about keeping in time, 838 00:55:06,480 --> 00:55:10,400 and you were a rubbish drummer cos you were playing the lead part. 839 00:55:10,400 --> 00:55:13,080 Colin's guitar was turned up too high. 840 00:55:13,080 --> 00:55:16,900 Colin's defence was he didn't know where the switch was. 841 00:55:16,900 --> 00:55:22,720 He only had two strings, anyway, so how much noise could you make? I agree with that, Phil. 842 00:55:22,720 --> 00:55:26,120 'So, what did happen to Bad News? 843 00:55:26,120 --> 00:55:29,720 'Colin, thanks to his father, got a job as a bank clerk.' 844 00:55:29,720 --> 00:55:32,800 # Nothing really matters 845 00:55:32,800 --> 00:55:36,560 # Anyone can see... # 846 00:55:36,560 --> 00:55:40,960 'Den went back to painting and decorating and doing part-time jobs for Alan.' 847 00:55:40,960 --> 00:55:45,100 I've finished the job in Corsica Street... Shut up! 848 00:55:45,100 --> 00:55:49,520 'Spider went to live in a barn in the West Country with his partner and three kids. 849 00:55:49,520 --> 00:55:53,520 'And Vim Fuego? Well, he got married to that one important fan, 850 00:55:53,520 --> 00:55:55,640 'Sally Friedman. 851 00:55:55,640 --> 00:56:01,120 'After the break, find out what Ken Livingstone thought about the Comic Strip's film GLC.' 852 00:56:04,000 --> 00:56:08,320 The results for the GLC election are as follows - 853 00:56:08,320 --> 00:56:10,280 Kenneth John Livingstone... 854 00:56:10,280 --> 00:56:13,860 'After The Strike came GLC, a Death Wish style satire 855 00:56:13,860 --> 00:56:16,920 'on Ken Livingstone's battle with the Thatcher government.' 856 00:56:16,920 --> 00:56:19,540 MACHINE GUNFIRE 857 00:56:20,540 --> 00:56:24,180 I was told something's going to be on the TV. 858 00:56:24,180 --> 00:56:29,340 I couldn't resist watching it and, not only did I laugh all through it, 859 00:56:29,340 --> 00:56:31,360 I was tremendously flattered. 860 00:56:31,360 --> 00:56:34,740 I laughed all the way through. It's incredibly funny. 861 00:56:38,080 --> 00:56:41,280 Who the hell are you? I'm the new leader of the GLC. 862 00:56:41,280 --> 00:56:46,340 Wonderful. Come on in. Have a drink. Have a...piece of cake. 863 00:56:46,340 --> 00:56:50,340 Party's over. Put your clothes on and go home. You can't do this. 864 00:56:50,340 --> 00:56:53,700 Do you know who I am? I'm the Lord Mayor of London! 865 00:56:53,700 --> 00:56:56,320 Was! Get the hell out of County Hall. 866 00:56:56,320 --> 00:57:01,980 The Comic Strip brilliantly turned this into an epic Hollywood drama. 867 00:57:01,980 --> 00:57:05,560 The great thing about the Comic Strip is it politicised 868 00:57:05,560 --> 00:57:07,580 a whole generation of comics. 869 00:57:07,580 --> 00:57:12,000 Most people chatted about it in the tea room at the House of Commons the next day. 870 00:57:12,000 --> 00:57:15,180 Living in London, it was the centre of life, in many ways. 871 00:57:15,180 --> 00:57:17,100 The GLC and all that. 872 00:57:17,100 --> 00:57:19,200 Thatcher was trying to dissolve 873 00:57:19,200 --> 00:57:23,260 a lot of London institutions which were very good for London, 874 00:57:23,260 --> 00:57:25,640 many of which have not really recovered. 875 00:57:25,640 --> 00:57:28,480 It was quite a serious point we were making. 876 00:57:28,480 --> 00:57:32,040 Horace is running for the leadership of the GLC again. 877 00:57:32,040 --> 00:57:37,100 You're the only man who can take him on and win. No, no. Not me. 878 00:57:38,060 --> 00:57:42,660 This is my life now. This old river gives me everything I need. 879 00:57:42,660 --> 00:57:46,500 You'd better find yourself another man. Or woman. 880 00:57:46,500 --> 00:57:50,500 What if I told you that Horace is going to flood south London? 881 00:57:50,500 --> 00:57:55,040 He's going to turn it into a marina. County Hall's gonna be a yacht club. He can't do that. 882 00:57:55,040 --> 00:57:59,520 It's the ice maiden's idea. He'll go through with it all right. 883 00:57:59,520 --> 00:58:02,260 Besides, who's going to stop him? 884 00:58:07,100 --> 00:58:11,080 I think Ken was one of the best things that ever happened to London. 885 00:58:11,080 --> 00:58:13,160 I've always been pro-Ken. 886 00:58:13,160 --> 00:58:15,500 Sly, how are you at making speeches? 887 00:58:15,500 --> 00:58:19,820 Well, I've never really t-t-t-tr-tried... 888 00:58:19,820 --> 00:58:22,860 Start practising. You're the new Lord Mayor. 889 00:58:23,900 --> 00:58:27,480 Oh, well. Thank you K-K-K... 890 00:58:27,480 --> 00:58:31,500 OK, those of you that don't know, my name's Ken Livingstone. 891 00:58:31,500 --> 00:58:35,080 # Look to the left and to the right... # 892 00:58:35,080 --> 00:58:37,900 KEN: Most of it rang true, actually. 893 00:58:37,900 --> 00:58:42,700 Except I didn't ever have pads on my elbows. 894 00:58:46,460 --> 00:58:49,120 The headlines, a lot of the clashes. 895 00:58:49,120 --> 00:58:53,100 I mean, we didn't have gun fights, but most of it rang true. 896 00:58:54,680 --> 00:58:58,680 I didn't wash my clothes in the River Thames. You didn't? No! 897 00:59:00,340 --> 00:59:04,580 I'm looking for councillors who ain't afraid to get their hands a little dirty. 898 00:59:04,580 --> 00:59:07,380 What do you do? London Transport, trains AND buses. 899 00:59:07,380 --> 00:59:11,400 Half the fares. Old people travel for free. Sorry, sir? You heard me. 900 00:59:11,400 --> 00:59:15,340 The day we cut the fares, the Daily Mail said, "This is the first step 901 00:59:15,340 --> 00:59:20,160 "towards the introduction of a full Soviet economy." LAUGHS 902 00:59:20,160 --> 00:59:24,900 Papers like the Sun and the Mail and the Telegraph hated the GLC. 903 00:59:24,900 --> 00:59:28,200 Joan, go to the bank, borrow some money for CND. 904 00:59:28,200 --> 00:59:31,580 I want those cruise missiles out by Christmas. Sure, Ken. 905 00:59:31,580 --> 00:59:34,980 He also said, "Raid the GLC bank account." 906 00:59:34,980 --> 00:59:38,440 LAUGHING: Which I think, after all the trouble we'd had 907 00:59:38,440 --> 00:59:41,440 with the media suggesting we took Kremlin gold, 908 00:59:41,440 --> 00:59:45,480 that was not a particularly helpful line! 909 00:59:45,480 --> 00:59:48,960 You, I want you to take care of the black minorities. 910 00:59:48,960 --> 00:59:52,040 Set up theatres, sports centres, recreational grounds. 911 00:59:52,040 --> 00:59:54,820 Yes, sir. And equalise some women. 912 00:59:54,820 --> 00:59:58,180 You, start a new movement. Call it Gay Pride. 913 00:59:58,180 --> 01:00:01,160 Let's get those gays out of the closet. Oh, yes, sir! 914 01:00:01,160 --> 01:00:04,940 All right, let's move it out! Let's shake this city up! 915 01:00:04,940 --> 01:00:06,980 WHOOPS AND APPLAUSE 916 01:00:06,980 --> 01:00:12,440 It's remarkable, the amount of things that you caught me or others saying that were true. 917 01:00:12,440 --> 01:00:16,860 The Horace Cutler figure played by Leslie Phillips was such a dead ringer. 918 01:00:16,860 --> 01:00:20,140 You've never had it so good! 919 01:00:20,140 --> 01:00:23,060 And thanks to the Tories, 920 01:00:23,060 --> 01:00:26,380 every home has a colour TV. 921 01:00:26,380 --> 01:00:30,940 And the shops are full of potatoes. 922 01:00:30,940 --> 01:00:33,900 The things that the Tory leader said at the time! 923 01:00:33,900 --> 01:00:37,580 Joan Ruddock, CND. Pleased to meet you, Joan. 924 01:00:37,580 --> 01:00:43,220 Dawn French playing Cher playing me was, I have to say, a hilarious experience for me. 925 01:00:43,220 --> 01:00:47,060 I was a very conventionally married woman with no children. 926 01:00:47,060 --> 01:00:52,940 There I am, portrayed as this temptress who's a single mother with out-of-control kids. 927 01:00:52,940 --> 01:00:55,960 'So that was all very bizarre.' 928 01:00:55,960 --> 01:00:59,480 Get your hands off that child. Mummy, mummy. 929 01:01:01,060 --> 01:01:04,160 Who are you? What are you doing here? 930 01:01:04,160 --> 01:01:07,300 Isn't it a little late to leave your children on their own? 931 01:01:07,300 --> 01:01:11,500 But for me, it just added to the fun and the kind of fame of the thing. 932 01:01:12,600 --> 01:01:16,220 I'm a single mother. I got no choice. 933 01:01:16,220 --> 01:01:18,720 Somebody's gotta stop those cruise missiles. 934 01:01:18,720 --> 01:01:22,620 My mother couldn't find it funny for a moment. 935 01:01:22,620 --> 01:01:25,260 She was deeply, deeply shocked. 936 01:01:25,260 --> 01:01:29,880 One of her neighbours came up to her the very next day and said, 937 01:01:29,880 --> 01:01:34,380 "I never knew that your daughter, 938 01:01:34,380 --> 01:01:38,760 "your DAUGHTER was in a relationship with that man Livingstone." 939 01:01:38,760 --> 01:01:41,700 Joan Ruddock is the most, you know, 940 01:01:41,700 --> 01:01:47,420 perfect, polite, restrained person I ever met in politics. 941 01:01:47,420 --> 01:01:51,520 And her depiction as pushing me on the floor to have sex 942 01:01:51,520 --> 01:01:54,920 was not ever going to be really like Joan. 943 01:01:54,920 --> 01:01:58,980 It's not like we thought that anything we were going to do 944 01:01:58,980 --> 01:02:01,380 was going to bring down the government, 945 01:02:01,380 --> 01:02:05,220 although, fabulously, for a lot of the Comic Strip time 946 01:02:05,220 --> 01:02:09,280 we had a massively attractive common enemy, who was Thatcher. 947 01:02:09,280 --> 01:02:14,420 Of course we wanted to bring down THAT government because it was headed by an eight-headed monster. 948 01:02:14,420 --> 01:02:16,040 Come here. 949 01:02:16,040 --> 01:02:18,040 SNIVELLING 950 01:02:25,140 --> 01:02:28,820 Of course you worked hard and of course you're tired. 951 01:02:28,820 --> 01:02:31,420 And old. And useless. 952 01:02:31,420 --> 01:02:36,320 Yes, I need a change. Of course you do. 953 01:02:36,320 --> 01:02:39,000 And you know what I'm going to do? 954 01:02:39,000 --> 01:02:41,780 I'm going to change your face. 955 01:02:43,260 --> 01:02:45,440 Aargh! 956 01:02:45,440 --> 01:02:48,900 I think the attitude of Margaret Thatcher, 957 01:02:48,900 --> 01:02:52,940 which was a kind of hatred of the left, we all felt that. 958 01:02:52,940 --> 01:02:56,440 By the time this film was made, both Ken Livingstone and I 959 01:02:56,440 --> 01:02:58,560 had just come into Parliament. 960 01:02:58,560 --> 01:03:01,980 So we were very aware of her and her kind of persona. 961 01:03:01,980 --> 01:03:06,400 LAUGHING: You made her almost more human than she really was! 962 01:03:06,400 --> 01:03:11,080 I think the portrayal of HER was very good in what we felt about her, 963 01:03:11,080 --> 01:03:14,220 even though, again, there were tremendous inaccuracies. 964 01:03:15,160 --> 01:03:16,520 Balls! 965 01:03:16,520 --> 01:03:19,860 He's tearing this city upside down and you are doing nothing! 966 01:03:20,860 --> 01:03:22,780 Stop him! Get rid of him! 967 01:03:22,780 --> 01:03:26,420 He's much too popular. Then get rid of the GLC. 968 01:03:26,420 --> 01:03:28,680 Kill Livingstone! 969 01:03:28,680 --> 01:03:31,220 Kill him! Kill him! 970 01:03:32,780 --> 01:03:38,280 It really did give a physical characterisation 971 01:03:38,280 --> 01:03:42,540 to what everybody felt about her, that she was utterly ruthless. 972 01:03:47,460 --> 01:03:49,980 Something I can do for you, mister? 973 01:03:51,900 --> 01:03:53,820 Mind if I smoke? 974 01:03:55,060 --> 01:03:57,600 Suppose you tell me who you are. 975 01:03:57,600 --> 01:04:00,280 My name is Benn, Tony Benn. 976 01:04:01,400 --> 01:04:04,420 Tony Benn, well, I'll be damned! 977 01:04:04,420 --> 01:04:06,660 It was all excellent. 978 01:04:06,660 --> 01:04:12,140 Tony Benn, another great figure who was around at that time and very active in politics. 979 01:04:13,100 --> 01:04:15,320 - She's banned the GLC. - Why? 980 01:04:16,420 --> 01:04:19,140 Because it's too wild and too popular. 981 01:04:19,140 --> 01:04:21,920 Huh! Too handsome, you mean? Maybe. 982 01:04:21,920 --> 01:04:24,960 Who's too handsome? You are. 983 01:04:24,960 --> 01:04:29,560 Where are you going? I gotta see the one man who can help us. 984 01:04:32,520 --> 01:04:35,140 What's he talking about? 985 01:04:35,140 --> 01:04:38,420 Well, if I was as wild and handsome as Ken, 986 01:04:38,420 --> 01:04:41,300 which I'm not, but if I was, 987 01:04:41,300 --> 01:04:45,400 there's one person I'd want to see. Who's that? 988 01:04:46,540 --> 01:04:48,480 The Prince of Wales. 989 01:04:48,480 --> 01:04:52,320 At that stage, I'd not had any dealings with Prince Charles. 990 01:04:52,320 --> 01:04:56,260 I think you depicted him as even more loopier than he really is. 991 01:04:56,260 --> 01:04:59,680 'You're just lucky he didn't sue you for that.' 992 01:04:59,680 --> 01:05:01,960 KEN LAUGHS 993 01:05:03,300 --> 01:05:05,280 HUMMING TO SELF 994 01:05:09,960 --> 01:05:12,160 "Let's grow plums". 995 01:05:12,160 --> 01:05:14,220 That's interesting. 996 01:05:14,220 --> 01:05:16,960 Never seen this one before. 997 01:05:16,960 --> 01:05:21,240 Try chapter ten, sir. "Growing plums in a clay soil". 998 01:05:21,240 --> 01:05:24,640 It's a good read. Yes, thank you. I will. 999 01:05:26,980 --> 01:05:31,640 Who are you? Your Majesty, my name's Ken. I've got to talk to you. 1000 01:05:31,640 --> 01:05:34,940 The Tony Benn character shooting Neil Kinnock in the back. 1001 01:05:34,940 --> 01:05:37,260 All those sorts of things. 1002 01:05:37,260 --> 01:05:41,560 Derek Hatton going off to Stringfellows and so on. 1003 01:05:41,560 --> 01:05:45,500 There were an awful lot of poisonous barbs that were very funny. 1004 01:05:45,500 --> 01:05:49,440 When we were writing the script, the thing that cracked us up most 1005 01:05:49,440 --> 01:05:52,160 was the line, "Kinnock goes for his gun." 1006 01:05:52,160 --> 01:05:57,160 At the time, we wanted Kinnock to go for his gun and he wasn't going for his gun. 1007 01:05:57,160 --> 01:06:00,360 That's in the script. It's nowhere in the film. 1008 01:06:00,360 --> 01:06:03,080 That was the attitude, the tone behind it. 1009 01:06:03,080 --> 01:06:06,840 What about you, Kinnock? I think my time would be better served 1010 01:06:06,840 --> 01:06:10,540 if I use my influence in the House of Commons. 1011 01:06:10,540 --> 01:06:13,180 Yeah? Like you did in the abolition debate? 1012 01:06:13,180 --> 01:06:15,240 I... I... 1013 01:06:15,240 --> 01:06:18,360 I... I really don't know what you mean. 1014 01:06:18,780 --> 01:06:20,120 GUNSHOT 1015 01:06:23,040 --> 01:06:25,540 I've been wanting that for a long time. 1016 01:06:25,540 --> 01:06:30,360 I thought it was a bit unfair to my very close and dear friend Neil. 1017 01:06:30,360 --> 01:06:32,580 I did think that was a bit unfair. 1018 01:06:37,460 --> 01:06:40,920 CHEERING AND WHISTLES 1019 01:06:59,900 --> 01:07:01,260 GROANING 1020 01:07:01,260 --> 01:07:03,320 Aaarrgghhh! 1021 01:07:09,400 --> 01:07:12,020 HOWLING 1022 01:07:12,020 --> 01:07:17,800 What keeps you going in politics, you know, is if you can't laugh at things that happen in politics 1023 01:07:17,800 --> 01:07:20,480 then you really are going to be a very sad person. 1024 01:07:23,040 --> 01:07:27,780 I like that closing shot where her hand comes and grabs my testicles. 1025 01:07:28,820 --> 01:07:31,140 Aargh! 1026 01:07:31,140 --> 01:07:33,220 That's when my kids fell over! 1027 01:07:33,220 --> 01:07:38,440 What was so clever was, although the GLC was very pertinent at the time, the comedy's timeless. 1028 01:07:38,440 --> 01:07:41,580 It's fantastic to watch your teenage children 1029 01:07:41,580 --> 01:07:46,260 falling off their seats watching something you did 30 years ago! 1030 01:07:49,400 --> 01:07:55,560 'Coming next, Keith Allen and Peter Richardson lampoon the TV tough guys with The Bullshitters.' 1031 01:08:04,000 --> 01:08:06,820 'When Keith Allen got commissioned by Channel 4 1032 01:08:06,820 --> 01:08:10,080 'to perform his own show, he invited Peter Richardson to join him 1033 01:08:10,080 --> 01:08:14,280 'in acting out several spoofs of the TV cop show, The Professionals, 1034 01:08:14,280 --> 01:08:17,540 'which lampooned the image of the TV tough guy. 1035 01:08:19,300 --> 01:08:23,980 'They wrote and filmed a 40-minute special, directed by Stephen Frears, 1036 01:08:23,980 --> 01:08:27,660 'and followed it with Detectives On The Edge Of A Nervous Breakdown.' 1037 01:08:27,660 --> 01:08:31,680 'I always wanted to take the piss out of The Professionals.' 1038 01:08:31,680 --> 01:08:34,900 So The Bullshitters were born and we did it as sketches. 1039 01:08:34,900 --> 01:08:40,140 Bonehead, darling, repeat after me. 1040 01:08:40,140 --> 01:08:44,460 "I cannot live without Vladimir." 1041 01:08:48,240 --> 01:08:50,280 Green! 1042 01:08:50,280 --> 01:08:53,740 I'm common. Green I'm common. Greenham Common. 1043 01:08:53,740 --> 01:08:55,480 I'm coming out. 1044 01:08:56,620 --> 01:08:58,700 I think I'm gay! 1045 01:09:00,440 --> 01:09:03,040 I want a pink alert in green sector. 1046 01:09:03,780 --> 01:09:06,820 Do it. Foyle, come back. It could be dangerous. 1047 01:09:06,820 --> 01:09:10,540 He's my friend! I want to talk to you! 1048 01:09:10,540 --> 01:09:14,780 I want that anti-gay serum up on Hampstead Heath in an hour. 1049 01:09:14,780 --> 01:09:17,260 Look, I'm gonna have to kill you. 1050 01:09:17,260 --> 01:09:21,300 I'd rather be gay and dead, Foyle, than alive and straight. 1051 01:09:21,300 --> 01:09:22,680 Freeze! 1052 01:09:24,360 --> 01:09:27,700 Those awful things - The Professionals, 1053 01:09:27,700 --> 01:09:32,840 The Sweeney, all these idiot tough guys on screen that we were supposed to look up to - 1054 01:09:32,840 --> 01:09:38,240 destroyed by this magnificent programme, The Bullshitters. 1055 01:09:38,240 --> 01:09:41,920 Jackson here. I want all ports and airports closed as of now. 1056 01:09:41,920 --> 01:09:44,780 And, Bridget, make sure my wife's put under sedation. 1057 01:09:44,780 --> 01:09:47,980 Bullshitters, I remember that at school. 1058 01:09:47,980 --> 01:09:50,160 Me and my friend, JB, talking about that. 1059 01:09:50,160 --> 01:09:52,200 I wished to be one of those guys. 1060 01:09:52,200 --> 01:09:55,000 That's what I was going to be in the army. 1061 01:09:55,000 --> 01:09:56,880 To the TV tough guy, 1062 01:09:56,880 --> 01:09:59,900 a motorcar is his mistress. 1063 01:10:01,440 --> 01:10:05,400 His lover. And this is a good opportunity for a nice profile shot. 1064 01:10:05,400 --> 01:10:09,320 International terrorists in town, the TV tough guy never does what? 1065 01:10:09,320 --> 01:10:14,700 Locks his car, sir. And why? Wasting film, sir. Very good. 1066 01:10:14,700 --> 01:10:18,060 I knew Stephen Frears cos I'd worked with him. 1067 01:10:18,060 --> 01:10:20,520 I said to Peter, "What do you think? 1068 01:10:20,520 --> 01:10:23,800 I'll try and get Stephen Frears." He said, "As if!" 1069 01:10:23,800 --> 01:10:27,800 Because you were all so young and did things in that young way, 1070 01:10:27,800 --> 01:10:30,080 which I found invigorating, 1071 01:10:30,080 --> 01:10:35,840 to show the clash between a middle-aged man and a younger man was rather interesting, I guess. 1072 01:10:35,840 --> 01:10:40,800 We had to take the script round, he read it. "That's funny, is it?" 1073 01:10:40,800 --> 01:10:44,800 That's what he said. "That's funny, is it?" "See you on Monday, then." 1074 01:10:44,800 --> 01:10:48,120 Sometimes you were, sometimes you weren't funny. 1075 01:10:48,120 --> 01:10:54,380 I wouldn't have known how to craft it into something like an Ealing comedy. 1076 01:10:54,380 --> 01:10:57,120 It didn't seem to require that. 1077 01:10:57,120 --> 01:11:02,440 We used to film most of our stuff without permission. You didn't have time. 1078 01:11:02,440 --> 01:11:06,540 We had to do it, and we would run around the streets of London 1079 01:11:06,540 --> 01:11:08,620 brandishing replica guns 1080 01:11:08,620 --> 01:11:12,140 in leatherette jockstraps. Like you do. Yeah. 1081 01:11:12,140 --> 01:11:13,380 Let's go! 1082 01:11:18,700 --> 01:11:20,800 I'll take a 38. I'll take a 42. 1083 01:11:28,040 --> 01:11:32,240 'No-one knew we were coming in those pubs. We banged in through a door.' 1084 01:11:32,240 --> 01:11:38,820 People were drinking beer and you come in with a gun and a jockstrap and we'd be gone so fast. 1085 01:11:42,700 --> 01:11:45,740 You couldn't do it nowadays. You couldn't do it. 1086 01:11:45,740 --> 01:11:50,500 All that bus stuff, they were buses with people going to work on them. 1087 01:11:50,500 --> 01:11:54,960 Some idiot jumping on and off in his leather jockstrap. 1088 01:11:54,960 --> 01:11:56,680 With a gun. 1089 01:11:56,680 --> 01:12:00,080 Well, you were lunatics, but you knew what you wanted. 1090 01:12:00,080 --> 01:12:04,720 'You had your own imaginative world and that's what you were trying to capture.' 1091 01:12:04,720 --> 01:12:07,660 I've never dared make something called a comedy. 1092 01:12:07,660 --> 01:12:10,060 That's my jockstrap. It's not. 1093 01:12:10,060 --> 01:12:14,220 That was the jockstrap that we used to run around London in. Look. 1094 01:12:15,220 --> 01:12:17,400 I'm not putting mine on. 1095 01:12:17,400 --> 01:12:19,440 Peter, your knees will go! 1096 01:12:19,440 --> 01:12:22,540 BOTH LAUGH 1097 01:12:22,540 --> 01:12:26,320 The Bullshitters was brilliant cos I was a massive fan 1098 01:12:26,320 --> 01:12:28,360 of The Professionals. 1099 01:12:28,360 --> 01:12:31,980 So... And also seeing two guys just snogging like that. 1100 01:12:31,980 --> 01:12:34,560 It was incredible! And extremely... 1101 01:12:34,560 --> 01:12:37,080 It was a good thing, but was also very funny. 1102 01:12:37,080 --> 01:12:41,080 Doing what we did with Hot Fuzz a long time before we did, 1103 01:12:41,080 --> 01:12:45,360 to identify the homoerotic sub-text in buddy cops. 1104 01:12:45,360 --> 01:12:48,600 The script was absolutely fantastic. 1105 01:12:48,600 --> 01:12:52,500 The pair of them in their jockstraps snogging. It was so naughty! 1106 01:12:52,500 --> 01:12:57,940 Yeah, him and Keith rolling around... Did they snog? I think they did, in their pants. 1107 01:12:57,940 --> 01:12:59,980 It was unrehearsed. 1108 01:12:59,980 --> 01:13:02,820 We tumbled down the gravel 1109 01:13:02,820 --> 01:13:05,060 and I ended up on top. 1110 01:13:05,060 --> 01:13:08,120 We hadn't discussed it. It wasn't planned that way. 1111 01:13:08,120 --> 01:13:14,220 I was feeling insecure about coming out in front of a film crew, let alone the nation of my fans. 1112 01:13:14,220 --> 01:13:17,000 Keith hadn't shaved. The stubble was horrible. 1113 01:13:17,000 --> 01:13:20,100 'I thought, "How could girls kiss Keith with all that stubble?"' 1114 01:13:20,100 --> 01:13:23,020 You know your tight black jeans? GUNSHOT 1115 01:13:23,020 --> 01:13:26,840 He couldn't stop laughing. You'll see it in the scene. 1116 01:13:26,840 --> 01:13:32,940 I was crying. I know. This ridiculous crying acting! Trying not to laugh! 1117 01:13:32,940 --> 01:13:35,060 I thought I'd lost you, Foyle. 1118 01:13:38,280 --> 01:13:41,840 Stephen was behind the camera, wetting himself laughing. Yeah. 1119 01:13:41,840 --> 01:13:43,960 "Stick your tongue down his throat!" 1120 01:13:43,960 --> 01:13:50,060 That's what I said to Daniel Day Lewis on the first day. "Stick your tongue in his ear." 1121 01:13:50,060 --> 01:13:54,040 He looked at me as if the devil had just landed on the earth. 1122 01:13:54,040 --> 01:13:56,280 And did it and became a star. 1123 01:13:56,280 --> 01:14:01,520 All the way through the shoot, we never saw more than three people behind the camera. 1124 01:14:01,520 --> 01:14:03,940 Suddenly, there were about 30. Yeah. 1125 01:14:03,940 --> 01:14:06,860 It was like a crowd, coming to watch this... 1126 01:14:06,860 --> 01:14:10,260 ..homoerotic scene in a gravel pit. 1127 01:14:10,260 --> 01:14:11,980 I was just a referee. 1128 01:14:11,980 --> 01:14:14,120 Freeze! Cover me! 1129 01:14:14,120 --> 01:14:15,560 Freeze! 1130 01:14:15,560 --> 01:14:20,080 You take the one on the right. You take the one on the left. Go! 1131 01:14:23,720 --> 01:14:26,860 TV detectives from different eras trying to find out 1132 01:14:26,860 --> 01:14:30,340 which era the case from. I've explained it pretty well. 1133 01:14:30,340 --> 01:14:34,400 We need to get the old hands in. We need the stars of the '70s. 1134 01:14:34,400 --> 01:14:38,160 What? Driving fast cars and shouting a lot? 1135 01:14:38,160 --> 01:14:40,000 All that macho shite? 1136 01:14:40,000 --> 01:14:42,920 All your long pauses haven't got me anywhere. 1137 01:14:42,920 --> 01:14:46,860 I got the chance to play Spanker, which was a take on Spender. 1138 01:14:46,860 --> 01:14:50,060 Which was a big detective series with Jimmy Nail. 1139 01:14:50,060 --> 01:14:53,340 Who've we got? Bonehead and Foyle. 1140 01:14:53,340 --> 01:14:54,740 Sir. 1141 01:14:54,740 --> 01:14:56,120 The Bullshitters. 1142 01:15:01,840 --> 01:15:04,140 SHOUTING: Who do you think you are? 1143 01:15:04,140 --> 01:15:07,140 Bonehead and Foyle. The Bullshitters. 1144 01:15:07,140 --> 01:15:11,240 What's your problem, Granddad? SHOUTING: You're my problem! 1145 01:15:11,240 --> 01:15:15,280 Listen, modern coppers don't abandon their cars any more! 1146 01:15:15,280 --> 01:15:17,600 They park 'em in the space provided. 1147 01:15:17,600 --> 01:15:21,620 They get out, central lock 'em and behave like decent citizens 1148 01:15:21,620 --> 01:15:23,780 who are there to serve the public! 1149 01:15:25,960 --> 01:15:28,160 What's he talking about, Foyle? I dunno. 1150 01:15:28,160 --> 01:15:31,980 You've heard the sad news about the gourmet detective? 1151 01:15:31,980 --> 01:15:35,680 Yeah, sounds like he got his... just desserts. Nice line. 1152 01:15:35,680 --> 01:15:39,180 Good show, though. Lots of great vegetarian dishes. 1153 01:15:39,180 --> 01:15:45,100 It was so funny. We wrote it and it did open with the gourmet detective. 1154 01:15:45,100 --> 01:15:50,440 Blow me down, six months later, a whole series came out called Pie In The Sky. 1155 01:15:50,440 --> 01:15:54,000 Which was a gourmet detective. About a gourmet detective. 1156 01:15:54,000 --> 01:15:56,040 So ahead of our time. Yeah. 1157 01:15:56,040 --> 01:15:59,780 Keith and Peter were both directing. LAUGHS 1158 01:15:59,780 --> 01:16:02,820 That was interesting. And acting in it. 1159 01:16:02,820 --> 01:16:05,760 You can imagine what it was like at times. 1160 01:16:05,760 --> 01:16:08,840 Where's shouting George from the Weeny? 1161 01:16:11,640 --> 01:16:14,000 SHOUTING: You can't park here! 1162 01:16:14,000 --> 01:16:15,820 Shut it! 1163 01:16:16,420 --> 01:16:20,180 He had great people. He got Jim Broadbent playing, "Shut it!" 1164 01:16:20,180 --> 01:16:22,180 You know, playing Jack Regan. 1165 01:16:22,180 --> 01:16:28,140 George, you met Bonehead and Foyle. Our paths have crossed, guv. 1166 01:16:28,140 --> 01:16:30,980 Look, let's get one thing straight. 1167 01:16:30,980 --> 01:16:34,320 Nobody calls me guv. Why not? 1168 01:16:34,320 --> 01:16:36,340 Because it's old-fashioned. 1169 01:16:36,340 --> 01:16:38,960 Who's the squatter? Friend of yours? 1170 01:16:38,960 --> 01:16:41,520 Detective Inspector David Spanker. 1171 01:16:41,520 --> 01:16:43,560 Shut up! 1172 01:16:43,560 --> 01:16:46,180 Listen, guv, I'm a ten-guv-a-day copper, 1173 01:16:46,180 --> 01:16:48,780 always have been, always will be. 1174 01:16:48,780 --> 01:16:53,640 If you want me to work on this case, I'm gonna call you guv all day long. 1175 01:16:53,640 --> 01:16:57,860 It's all I know and it's all you need to know! Guv! 1176 01:16:57,860 --> 01:17:00,820 I loved The Professionals so much that... 1177 01:17:00,820 --> 01:17:03,400 I wanted to BE The Professionals. 1178 01:17:03,400 --> 01:17:06,080 You think that mid-'70s bullshit is gonna help? 1179 01:17:06,080 --> 01:17:09,260 It's not mid-'70s bullshit, it's that! 1180 01:17:09,260 --> 01:17:12,500 Banging tables and shouting loudly. 1181 01:17:12,500 --> 01:17:17,780 The Comic Strip, bizarrely, was maybe the first thing that showed me the story is king. 1182 01:17:17,780 --> 01:17:20,040 Story is more important than gags. 1183 01:17:20,040 --> 01:17:23,820 Story will take someone through an hour and a half. Gags will not. 1184 01:17:23,820 --> 01:17:26,700 JOLLY WHISTLING Shut it! 1185 01:17:26,700 --> 01:17:28,940 What do we do now? 1186 01:17:28,940 --> 01:17:31,620 Waiting for a Mini Moke to turn up. 1187 01:17:32,480 --> 01:17:36,040 Mini Moke! Miniskirt. 1188 01:17:37,620 --> 01:17:39,180 Minnie Mouse! 1189 01:17:39,180 --> 01:17:41,200 A mini... 1190 01:17:42,220 --> 01:17:45,200 Mini pencil... No, hang on. Minnesota! 1191 01:17:45,200 --> 01:17:47,180 That's a good one. 1192 01:17:48,400 --> 01:17:51,680 Minicab. Could do with one to get me out this shit! 1193 01:17:51,680 --> 01:17:57,320 Peter did this wonderful rendition of Jason King, you know, 1194 01:17:57,320 --> 01:18:01,580 with the moustache and drinking champagne! 1195 01:18:01,580 --> 01:18:05,320 "Indeedy deedy!" That was Pete's line, really. 1196 01:18:05,320 --> 01:18:09,440 Apparently, there's a new law forbidding one to drink and drive. 1197 01:18:09,440 --> 01:18:12,320 If that happens, I shall give up touring for ever. 1198 01:18:13,880 --> 01:18:16,160 Ah, this looks promising. 1199 01:18:16,160 --> 01:18:20,140 Feel free to search the grounds. I have nothing to hide. 1200 01:18:20,140 --> 01:18:22,520 Indeedy deedy. 1201 01:18:22,520 --> 01:18:24,580 Do tell me, 1202 01:18:24,580 --> 01:18:27,880 don't you have a 19-year-old daughter 1203 01:18:27,880 --> 01:18:30,760 with a miniskirt and too much make-up? 1204 01:18:30,760 --> 01:18:34,400 Yes, I do. I thought so. 1205 01:18:34,400 --> 01:18:37,140 She lives in Kenya with an African prince. 1206 01:18:37,140 --> 01:18:39,180 Any other questions? 1207 01:18:39,180 --> 01:18:42,040 Yeah. What are we doing here? 1208 01:18:45,260 --> 01:18:46,520 Cheers. 1209 01:18:47,200 --> 01:18:50,820 I never initially warmed to it in quite the same way. 1210 01:18:50,820 --> 01:18:56,340 But then, like The Famous Five, it was an amazingly warped pastiche. 1211 01:18:56,340 --> 01:18:58,320 It was just so good. 1212 01:18:58,320 --> 01:19:00,880 Come on, Spanker! Tell us about it! 1213 01:19:00,880 --> 01:19:03,080 I never had your chances, George. 1214 01:19:03,080 --> 01:19:06,920 What are you doing, Foyle? I'm gonna do some crawling. Where? There. 1215 01:19:06,920 --> 01:19:09,460 I'm gonna do some over here. Let's go. 1216 01:19:09,460 --> 01:19:11,940 SPANKER: I was ten years too late. 1217 01:19:11,940 --> 01:19:15,800 All I got was marriage problems and a northern atmosphere. 1218 01:19:15,800 --> 01:19:19,020 I had marriage problems as well, Spanker. 1219 01:19:19,020 --> 01:19:22,500 But you know why I survived? By shouting! 1220 01:19:22,500 --> 01:19:25,280 I didn't send people to sleep, like you do. 1221 01:19:25,280 --> 01:19:29,000 Think about Jim Broadbent, about how talented he is. 1222 01:19:29,000 --> 01:19:32,760 You were really lucky to get him, to be on screen with him. 1223 01:19:32,760 --> 01:19:35,400 There's no towel, for Christ's sake! 1224 01:19:35,400 --> 01:19:38,020 Can't a copper dry his hands any more? 1225 01:19:38,020 --> 01:19:41,680 I've got wet hands here and they need drying! 1226 01:19:41,680 --> 01:19:44,440 This place is a bloody khazi! 1227 01:19:45,100 --> 01:19:48,840 Detectives On The Edge Of A Nervous Breakdown, The Bullshitters, 1228 01:19:48,840 --> 01:19:53,580 all those shows were just spot-on, precision perfect. 1229 01:19:53,580 --> 01:19:55,580 Those boxes, Foyle! 1230 01:19:56,400 --> 01:19:58,440 Beautiful! Beautiful, Foyle! 1231 01:19:59,820 --> 01:20:01,680 SHUT IT! 1232 01:20:04,940 --> 01:20:07,000 Oh, yes! 1233 01:20:07,000 --> 01:20:09,300 Go! Go! Go! Go! 1234 01:20:10,060 --> 01:20:14,600 What do you mean, it won't start? We've wrecked the gearbox. 1235 01:20:14,600 --> 01:20:18,520 It's broken the gearbox. You're the one who was driving it. 1236 01:20:20,360 --> 01:20:24,740 What do you want? I want to be driving around in circles. So do I! 1237 01:20:24,740 --> 01:20:27,620 'After the break, Tony Blair goes on the run 1238 01:20:27,620 --> 01:20:31,080 'in a '50s-style thriller, The Hunt For Tony Blair.' 1239 01:20:35,000 --> 01:20:37,760 'In 2011, the Comic Strip returned 1240 01:20:37,760 --> 01:20:41,380 'and I, former swimwear model, Stephen Mangan, 1241 01:20:41,380 --> 01:20:46,360 'was given the starring role in a 39 Steps style thriller.' 1242 01:20:49,140 --> 01:20:53,280 I play this man who is completely Teflon coated. Nothing is his fault. 1243 01:20:53,280 --> 01:20:55,160 'It's a total joy.' 1244 01:20:55,160 --> 01:20:59,720 Good evening, sir. Are you Tony Charles Lynton Blair? 1245 01:20:59,720 --> 01:21:01,000 Yes. 1246 01:21:01,000 --> 01:21:05,160 I've a warrant for your arrest, sir. The charge is...murder. 1247 01:21:06,440 --> 01:21:08,180 Oh, heck. 1248 01:21:08,180 --> 01:21:11,460 It was definitely a return to form. 1249 01:21:11,460 --> 01:21:17,600 They had a newcomer, Stephen Mangan, who took to the Comic Strip formula like a duck to water. 1250 01:21:17,600 --> 01:21:22,020 Perfect as Tony Blair, that combination of likeability and smackability. 1251 01:21:22,020 --> 01:21:25,380 I really liked the Blair one. It was almost near-perfect. 1252 01:21:25,380 --> 01:21:28,560 Except my bit shouldn't have been in it. 1253 01:21:28,560 --> 01:21:31,320 I felt under a lot of pressure, actually. 1254 01:21:31,320 --> 01:21:36,780 But the script was great and looks incredible, I think, the way Peter shot it. 1255 01:21:36,780 --> 01:21:38,680 'Beautiful, black-and-white look.' 1256 01:21:38,680 --> 01:21:42,480 Tony, what's the matter? I've got to get out of here. 1257 01:21:42,480 --> 01:21:47,040 What are you talking about? It's no big deal, but I've been charged with murder. 1258 01:21:47,040 --> 01:21:50,280 Tony, talk to me. What have you done? 1259 01:21:50,280 --> 01:21:52,820 I've served my country, that's what I've done. 1260 01:21:52,820 --> 01:21:56,020 Tony Blair spoof, which I loved. 1261 01:21:56,020 --> 01:22:00,900 It was all in black and white, which was kind of brilliant. 1262 01:22:01,660 --> 01:22:03,940 Don't be a fool, Blair. GUNSHOTS 1263 01:22:03,940 --> 01:22:06,060 'It's ballsy, I give you that. 1264 01:22:06,060 --> 01:22:08,300 'People automatically, nowadays,' 1265 01:22:08,300 --> 01:22:12,200 if they see something in black and white, find it boring. 1266 01:22:12,200 --> 01:22:15,180 Visually, they're not stimulated. 1267 01:22:15,180 --> 01:22:22,120 I've got a nine-month-old son. He didn't have a clue what was going on. 1268 01:22:22,120 --> 01:22:27,500 'Apparently, all the stuff that was Whitehall,' 1269 01:22:27,500 --> 01:22:33,020 Peter used old naval buildings that doubled up for London streets. 1270 01:22:33,020 --> 01:22:37,260 Yeah, I think he lives in Devon, so obviously, we had to film in Devon. 1271 01:22:37,260 --> 01:22:41,760 'Most of the actors, cast and crew, were all London based. 1272 01:22:41,760 --> 01:22:45,120 'So it only made sense to film in Devon.' 1273 01:22:46,200 --> 01:22:48,120 A film set in London. 1274 01:22:50,780 --> 01:22:53,880 AS BLAIR: 'After a cold wet night on that park bench, 1275 01:22:53,880 --> 01:22:55,940 'it was time to get out of town. 1276 01:22:55,940 --> 01:22:57,980 'Ha! If only it was that easy. 1277 01:22:57,980 --> 01:23:02,100 'Being such hot news, this was one story I couldn't spin. 1278 01:23:02,100 --> 01:23:04,500 'It was all looking pretty hopeless, 1279 01:23:04,500 --> 01:23:07,300 'but I still had one or two cards up my sleeve.' 1280 01:23:08,220 --> 01:23:11,580 Hi, is that Bernie Ecclestone? It's Tony Blair. 1281 01:23:11,580 --> 01:23:16,040 You couldn't lend me a really fast car without "Durex" on the side. 1282 01:23:16,040 --> 01:23:20,260 I read his book. Which is a treat for all comedy fans. 1283 01:23:20,260 --> 01:23:25,600 A lot of the lines that Tony Blair... Not all of the lines, but a lot of them. 1284 01:23:25,600 --> 01:23:27,680 I read Tony Blair's book, 1285 01:23:27,680 --> 01:23:31,520 and loads of the lines that he says in that are directly... 1286 01:23:31,520 --> 01:23:33,900 They've taken them directly. 1287 01:23:33,900 --> 01:23:36,060 'Stuff that you wouldn't even... 1288 01:23:36,060 --> 01:23:40,800 'Stuff that you would think, "God! He'd never say that."' 1289 01:23:40,800 --> 01:23:43,660 Thank you, Robin, for such kind words. 1290 01:23:43,660 --> 01:23:45,700 As you can probably... 1291 01:23:45,700 --> 01:23:50,200 Look, Peter. If John dies, I will be leader, not Gordon. 1292 01:23:50,200 --> 01:23:52,680 And I think, somehow, this will happen. 1293 01:23:54,240 --> 01:23:58,200 What do you mean, "If John dies"? Look, don't cross me over this. 1294 01:23:58,200 --> 01:24:01,700 This is mine. I know it. And I will take it. 1295 01:24:01,700 --> 01:24:06,760 - Blair actually said that? - Oh, yes. It's all in his book. 1296 01:24:06,760 --> 01:24:09,500 Page 63, chapter two. 1297 01:24:09,500 --> 01:24:13,380 The Hunt For Tony Blair was again consistent of the Comic Strip. 1298 01:24:13,380 --> 01:24:19,520 It was shot cinematically, beautiful performances from great characters, great writing. 1299 01:24:19,520 --> 01:24:22,060 I came in just to play a doorman. 1300 01:24:23,160 --> 01:24:25,720 Which was great! LAUGHS 1301 01:24:31,620 --> 01:24:33,500 Good morning, Mr Brown. 1302 01:24:33,500 --> 01:24:36,960 I was told I was moving in here today. Now, in fact. 1303 01:24:36,960 --> 01:24:40,960 Not yet, sir. Not while you still suffer from psychological problems 1304 01:24:40,960 --> 01:24:43,180 and Tony Blair's still in charge. 1305 01:24:43,180 --> 01:24:44,800 Good day, sir. 1306 01:24:46,180 --> 01:24:51,640 To have to turn Gordon Brown away from Chequers was not something you get to do every day. 1307 01:24:51,640 --> 01:24:56,340 The last sight of Blair is around here, sir. Suddenly, he disappears. 1308 01:24:56,340 --> 01:24:59,480 Just here. Hm. All right, Mandelson. 1309 01:24:59,480 --> 01:25:01,900 If you were Blair, where would you be? 1310 01:25:01,900 --> 01:25:05,020 Tuscany, Florida or Barbados with Cliff Richard. 1311 01:25:05,020 --> 01:25:09,960 He's not on holiday, he's on the run. Where would he be? 1312 01:25:11,020 --> 01:25:12,980 Oh, yes. 1313 01:25:12,980 --> 01:25:16,420 Yes, of course. Of course what? 1314 01:25:16,420 --> 01:25:22,280 General Pinochet hid out here when he, too, was on the run for mass murder. 1315 01:25:22,280 --> 01:25:24,660 Where, damn it? 1316 01:25:24,660 --> 01:25:29,340 Have you forgotten... the Iron Lady, Inspector? 1317 01:25:29,340 --> 01:25:32,160 'Pete always likes to layer those things.' 1318 01:25:32,160 --> 01:25:35,240 You're always playing someone playing someone. 1319 01:25:35,240 --> 01:25:36,820 In The Hunt For Tony Blair, 1320 01:25:36,820 --> 01:25:41,080 'I honestly didn't know what I was going to do until I opened my mouth. 1321 01:25:41,080 --> 01:25:43,800 'There were so many different things he wanted. 1322 01:25:43,800 --> 01:25:49,300 'He wanted me to be like Margaret Thatcher, but I was dressed as Bette Davis from Baby Jane' 1323 01:25:49,300 --> 01:25:52,540 but playing it as if I was in Sunset Boulevard! 1324 01:25:52,540 --> 01:25:56,540 LAUGHS So, where do you go with that? 1325 01:25:56,540 --> 01:26:02,060 'So until I opened my mouth, I honestly didn't know what I was going to do.' 1326 01:26:02,060 --> 01:26:04,040 Mrs Thatcher. 1327 01:26:05,420 --> 01:26:08,360 Is that Cecil? Cecil Parkinson? 1328 01:26:08,360 --> 01:26:10,340 No, it's Tony. Tony Blair. 1329 01:26:11,300 --> 01:26:13,660 Oh, the pretty Tony Blair. 1330 01:26:13,660 --> 01:26:17,140 Come here, come here, where I can see you. 1331 01:26:17,140 --> 01:26:18,820 Come to Mummy. 1332 01:26:19,520 --> 01:26:22,360 Are you in a lot of trouble, Tony? 1333 01:26:22,360 --> 01:26:26,060 Well, you know, I might have made a few honest mistakes but, hey, 1334 01:26:26,060 --> 01:26:28,480 think I can talk my way out of it. 1335 01:26:28,480 --> 01:26:34,060 It was always that blind faith in yourself that made you so very appealing. 1336 01:26:34,060 --> 01:26:35,340 Thank you. 1337 01:26:35,340 --> 01:26:37,380 Sexy Maggie. 1338 01:26:37,380 --> 01:26:41,960 Who...I slept with. 1339 01:26:41,960 --> 01:26:44,680 I played Tony Blair... 1340 01:26:46,180 --> 01:26:50,340 ..and I slept with Maggie Thatcher played by Jennifer Saunders. 1341 01:26:50,340 --> 01:26:56,900 These kind of brilliant caricatures, so you had, again, Jennifer Saunders as Maggie with her butler, Tebbit. 1342 01:26:56,900 --> 01:27:00,500 And the wonderful Harry Enfield playing Alastair Campbell 1343 01:27:00,500 --> 01:27:04,360 as a kind of Sweeney figure with his bruising leather jacket 1344 01:27:04,360 --> 01:27:07,460 and cockney vowels, that was fab. 1345 01:27:07,460 --> 01:27:10,940 It didn't need the Alastair Campell bit. That was ghastly. 1346 01:27:10,940 --> 01:27:14,080 But everything else was perfect. Mrs Blair was brilliant. 1347 01:27:14,080 --> 01:27:18,860 Tony, the washing machine's broken again. It goes straight to rinse. 1348 01:27:18,860 --> 01:27:24,320 I'm not a plumber. I'm a Prime Minister. That's a pathetic excuse. Is it? "Is it?" 1349 01:27:24,320 --> 01:27:27,780 For fuck's sake, Cherie. Leave the poor fucker alone. 1350 01:27:27,780 --> 01:27:29,760 Shut up, you little man! 1351 01:27:29,760 --> 01:27:34,820 You've only got to see the newer, younger comedians in the Tony Blair film. 1352 01:27:34,820 --> 01:27:39,720 You've got Stephen Mangan, very successful in his own right, and Ross Noble. 1353 01:27:39,720 --> 01:27:43,740 There's clearly a reverence there for the Comic Strip generation. 1354 01:27:43,740 --> 01:27:47,380 These guys are enthusiastic about appearing in a Comic Strip film. 1355 01:27:47,380 --> 01:27:52,360 'They're happy to kind of be absorbed and honoured, in a way.' 1356 01:27:52,360 --> 01:27:55,540 ON RADIO: 'The hunt for Tony Blair continues with an unconfirmed report 1357 01:27:55,540 --> 01:27:57,900 'that he's driving a blue Ford Anglia. 1358 01:27:57,900 --> 01:28:02,660 'Police advise everyone not to approach the ex-Prime Minister, as he could be a danger...' 1359 01:28:02,660 --> 01:28:06,680 Don't be so hysterical. Bloody media! Danger to the public? 1360 01:28:07,700 --> 01:28:09,380 TYRES SCREECH 1361 01:28:10,380 --> 01:28:11,840 Aaargh! 1362 01:28:12,480 --> 01:28:14,840 Oh, shit! I killed again! 1363 01:28:14,840 --> 01:28:16,920 'I got this thing through saying,' 1364 01:28:16,920 --> 01:28:19,960 "Do you want to be in a Comic Strip film?" 1365 01:28:19,960 --> 01:28:24,160 I was like, "They've probably got the wrong person there. 1366 01:28:24,160 --> 01:28:27,580 '"Do you want to double check and make sure?" 1367 01:28:27,580 --> 01:28:31,580 'I knew roughly who was in it but it wasn't till I turned up on the day 1368 01:28:31,580 --> 01:28:36,920 'and I started reading the cast list and went, "Oh, Christ! Really?"' 1369 01:28:36,920 --> 01:28:40,620 It was one of those things where I thought, 1370 01:28:40,620 --> 01:28:45,180 "If he's booked me, all his old mates have obviously told him to piss off!" 1371 01:28:45,180 --> 01:28:50,840 'It's that thing of going, "Oh, God! I could sink this! 1372 01:28:50,840 --> 01:28:53,720 'LAUGHING: "I'm only in one scene!"' 1373 01:28:57,440 --> 01:28:59,360 Blimey, is that legal? 1374 01:29:00,680 --> 01:29:03,160 Oh, sorry. Bit of a tight spot. 1375 01:29:03,160 --> 01:29:05,780 And I saw it once in a film. 1376 01:29:05,780 --> 01:29:09,440 SLURRED: I-I know who you are. It's Tony Blair! 1377 01:29:09,440 --> 01:29:11,720 I voted for you, Tony! 1378 01:29:11,720 --> 01:29:13,640 I'll never forget that night. 1379 01:29:13,640 --> 01:29:17,700 # Things can only get better... # 1380 01:29:17,700 --> 01:29:20,960 Thank you, but I'm travelling incognito, so... 1381 01:29:20,960 --> 01:29:23,160 CONTINUES HUMMING DRUNKENLY 1382 01:29:23,160 --> 01:29:27,140 The whole alternative comedy scene came from Peter and that lot, 1383 01:29:27,140 --> 01:29:29,280 who influenced everyone, really. 1384 01:29:30,500 --> 01:29:32,300 WOMAN: Tony. 1385 01:29:32,300 --> 01:29:36,440 'Oh, heck, Carole Caplin. Just what I didn't need back in my life.' 1386 01:29:36,440 --> 01:29:39,320 I was wondering whether you'd show up here. 1387 01:29:40,400 --> 01:29:42,580 Just the car you want, is it? 1388 01:29:42,580 --> 01:29:47,040 To be honest, I didn't know you were here. I thought Cherie had had you evicted. 1389 01:29:47,040 --> 01:29:49,220 She did, but I changed the locks. 1390 01:29:49,220 --> 01:29:52,160 Well, that shows spirit. 1391 01:29:52,160 --> 01:29:55,840 A stylistic layer of detachment allows them to get away with a lot. 1392 01:29:55,840 --> 01:30:00,320 'In The Hunt For Tony Blair, you have this '50s film noir, 1393 01:30:00,320 --> 01:30:05,120 'misty streets, slicked-back hair kind of milieu that allowed them' 1394 01:30:05,120 --> 01:30:08,500 to take a lot of liberties and yet be fairly brash, 1395 01:30:08,500 --> 01:30:13,980 'and blunt and tackle the Blair era head-on, not pull any punches.' 1396 01:30:13,980 --> 01:30:17,560 Tony, Robin Cook's here. What the hell is going on? 1397 01:30:17,560 --> 01:30:23,500 We're already at war with the Taliban and you want to make an unprovoked attack against Iraq? 1398 01:30:23,500 --> 01:30:25,440 What are you? Insane? 1399 01:30:25,440 --> 01:30:27,900 No, that's not a war. That's a crusade. 1400 01:30:27,900 --> 01:30:30,460 This is a proper war, with tanks and everything. 1401 01:30:30,460 --> 01:30:33,700 We were told lies to start a war 1402 01:30:33,700 --> 01:30:39,520 for reasons which I still don't understand and which nobody's felt the need to explain to us. 1403 01:30:39,520 --> 01:30:42,400 Yeah, I thought, "Right on." You know? 1404 01:30:42,400 --> 01:30:44,860 "This'll rattle some cages." 1405 01:30:44,860 --> 01:30:49,640 And it's about time. There was some stuff that needed to be said. 1406 01:30:49,640 --> 01:30:51,720 Um... 1407 01:30:52,640 --> 01:30:55,840 And I'm glad that we were the guys that did it. 1408 01:30:55,840 --> 01:30:58,140 Got a lot of people thinking. 1409 01:30:59,140 --> 01:31:04,160 "Should they make more Comic Strip Presents?" for one! 1410 01:31:04,160 --> 01:31:08,740 I look back on its influence on me, in terms of what I do now. 1411 01:31:08,740 --> 01:31:14,080 I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now if it wasn't for the Comic Strip to blaze that trail. 1412 01:31:14,080 --> 01:31:18,720 AS SELF: 'That brings to an end the first part of the Comic Strip story. 1413 01:31:18,720 --> 01:31:22,840 'The last word comes from the founder of the group, Peter Richardson.' 1414 01:31:22,840 --> 01:31:26,820 Look, I've had a great deal of fun with The Comic Strip. 1415 01:31:26,820 --> 01:31:32,340 And now we're on the Gold channel, things are looking rather good. 1416 01:31:32,340 --> 01:31:36,520 I've got a place to stay and the future's beginning to look sunny. 1417 01:31:36,520 --> 01:31:38,500 CLAP OF THUNDER 1418 01:31:38,500 --> 01:31:40,020 Oh, shit! 1419 01:31:40,020 --> 01:31:42,080 CAR ALARM BLARES 1420 01:31:42,080 --> 01:31:44,320 RAIN THUNDERS DOWN